Click the video to learn more about Christian Fardel. [Video/Hangzhoufeel]

There are many talented individuals to be discovered in every corner of Hangzhou, not the least of which is Christian Fardel.

Three years ago, the then 64-year-old Frenchman came to Hangzhou and became the eldest foreign student to study at Zhejiang University. Although he was already fluent in French, Spanish, and English, Fardel was still eager to improve his Chinese.

Aside from studying, Fardel enjoys riding his favorite bike and learning about the ancient and modern aspects of Hangzhou.

Many know that Fardel once sailed a 10-meter-long sloop across the Atlantic when he was just 27, but few know that he also helped translate and publish a professional book on ancient Chinese vessels.

It took Fardel two months to finish translating the 400,000-word book, which he labored over for 18 hours a day. The book contains descriptions of 100 ancient sites, 40 historical documents, and 60 quotations.

"Many Westerners think the oldest boat was built in Egypt about 3,100 years ago, but according to this book there is an 8,000-year old canoe buried in Xianghu Lake, which I pass by every day," Fardel said.