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Chinese Farmer's Homebuilt Submarine 'Big Black Fish' Completes Successful River Trials
ANHUI PROVINCE, CHINA, JUL 17 – Zhang Shengwu built a two-person submarine that can dive eight meters and stay underwater for 30 minutes, inspired by TV footage despite initial family opposition.
- Zhang Shengwu, a 60-year-old farmer in Anhui province, launched his homemade submarine named Big Black Fish into a local river on July 2, 2025.
- His interest began in 2014 after seeing submarine construction on TV, prompting him to build a sub despite his wife's opposition and lack of formal training.
- He spent 5,000 yuan on materials to build a first prototype in secret, later upgrading to a five-ton, seven-meter steel craft with ballast tanks and concrete ballast.
- The Big Black Fish can dive eight meters, accommodate two people, travel at four knots, and stay submerged for 30 minutes, though Zhang fears leakage and wants it to go deeper.
- Zhang plans to build an even bigger submarine, demonstrating growing grassroots innovation despite limited resources, though such projects differ greatly from advanced military subs.
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42 Articles
Big Black Fish: Chinese farmer makes splash with homemade submarine
A 60-year-old farmer in China has built his own “Big Black Fish” — a homemade submarine that can accommodate two people, dive eight metres and stay underwater for 30 minutes at a time. Chinese farmer Zhang Shengwu posing in his homemade submarine in a river in Hanshan county, in China’s eastern Anhui province, on July 2, 2025. Photo: AFP. Zhang Shengwu, a villager in China’s eastern Anhui province, recently launched his five-ton sub into the riv…
·Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Former self-taught carpenter, Zhang Shengwu took eight years to build his equipment capable of diving to 8 meters deep, despite the doubts of his entourage. Will he be recruited by the navy?
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Total News Sources42
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 22%
C 67%
11%
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