China's craze for DIY plumbs new depths
It started well for amateur submariner Tao Xiangli , as his home-made underwater craft slid below the surface of an idyllic rural lake, watched by an entire village.
But then the submarine stalled and got stuck in the mud. After nearly 10 minutes of anxious waiting, onlookers began to panic. Some dived into the water to check that the submariner was alright. Finally, villagers pulled the vessel and its intrepid inventor to safety.
The little adventure of the DIY peasant inventor has become a hit video clip widely circulated on the internet in recent days.
Tao, a 34-year-old Beijing-based migrant worker from Anhui province, has become an internet sensation since word began to spread last summer of his unusual hobby - building submarines. His latest craft is six metres long, weighs almost two tonnes, and is made mostly out of metal barrels. The vessel is cramped, with room for only one person.
The mainland is experiencing a DIY engineering fad, with enthusiasts building everything from submarines and aircraft to robots. Many use countryside ponds and hills to practise, though a lack of safety measures means this type of hobby is not for the faint-hearted.
