QINGDAO -- A retired boiler worker from Qingdao City in east China's Shandong Province has translated his love of traditional crafts into a 12 year project making a model ship featuring elements from Chinese architecture and dragon folklore.

Sun Zhifang, 74 years old, assembled more than 25,000 wooden pieces into the model ship, which is around two meters in length and weighs over 100 kilograms.

Sun drew inspiration from buildings in the Forbidden City and built three old-style pavilions on the ship, complete with 310 pillars, nearly 500 traditional decorations, more than 300 movable windows and doors, nearly 50 colorful lights, more than 1,000 dragon patterns, four couplets and nearly 20,000 arches and brackets.

"The ship was completely handmade. I worked on it for 12 years. There are over 25,000 wooden components on it, including arches and brackets, and over 300 movable windows and doors. I thought I should try my best to make it vivid when I decided to make it," said Sun.

Sun's interest in old Chinese architectures stemmed from his travels in Beijing in the 1970s, when he visited the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.

Since then, Sun has been buying and studying books, magazines and other documents about old Chinese architecture.

Sun's idea for the model ship came to him when he saw a picture of a dragon boat in a newspaper in the 1980s.

"I saw the boat for the first time in Xinmin Evening News. I was shocked by its beauty. It felt as if I won a prize. It was really surprising," said Sun.

Sun then collected various dragon patterns, while learning to make the model ship with simple tools.

"He drew his designs every day. Sometimes I saw him stay up very late. I said to him, 'don't you go to sleep?' He didn't answer but continued to draw. Sometimes, he dozed off beside his drawings," said Wang Tianhua, Sun's wife.

The model ship is so intricate that Sun even hid away all the electric wires for the lights on the model. Full of Chinese dragon elements, the ship shows Sun's respect for traditional Chinese culture.

"I burst into tears as soon as I finished it. I was so weary, but I persisted in doing it. I felt that I realized the biggest dream in my life," said Sun.

Besides the model ship, Sun has also made several colorful, traditional Chinese lanterns.

"I think that as a Chinese, it's my responsibility to carry forward Chinese culture, generation by generation," said Sun.