Art of boat building
An artist’s impression of carved wooden bangau that are crafted on the prows of many Terengganu Malay fishing boats.
As a nation surrounded by water and with vast river systems, control of the seas and waterways ensured sovereignty, particularly so when the interior of the land was largely inaccessible. In Malaysia, this was an impetus for the building of a large and varied number of boats or perahu, which plied the waters of the region. The indigenous peoples of Borneo have a long history of boat building, as do the Malays of the east coast of the Peninsula, renowned for their colourful and decorative traditional vessels of which, unfortunately, few are seen sailing today.
- Information in the full article includes
- Ancient seafaring
- Traditional vessels of the Peninsula
- Types of crafted wood and styles
- Symbols and their cultural significance