Raft builders keep craft afloat along China's Yellow River

Today, traditional sheepskin rafts are used to ferry tourists on the Yellow River in Zhongwei. — Wikimedia Commons

Drifting down the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft while listening to traditional songs from northwestern China – it’s just a regular day out at the Shapotou Resort in the city of Zhongwei, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the river. Now they carry tourists, drawn to the novel sensation of flowing with the current aboard a vessel from a bygone age.