Demand from connoisseurs gives a new lease of life to yachting firms

Unlike many wealthy Chinese businessmen, Liang Zhiming, a Qingdao-based interior designer, didn't jump in at the deep end and buy a luxury yacht when he decided to buy a boat.

Liang's first floating purchase was a simple canoe, which he bought at a boat show at Qingdao Sunshine Department Store in 2003, partly out of interest and partly out of curiosity. His interest was piqued, however, and the single seater boat was soon replaced by a two-seater.

"Whenever I got time, I went canoeing. As I paddled along the Li River, the Jialing River and the Chishui River, and across many provinces, my interest in sailing grew," he says.