A 1.6 ton homemade submarine mostly assembled from metal barrels and second-hand parts. Hand made by the amateur inventor Tao Xiangli, the 20ft fully functional submarine consists of a passenger compartment for only one person and features pressure meters, monitoring cameras, a TV set, oxygen supply and headlights. Additionally, the submarine is equipped with a periscope, depth control tanks, electric motors, manometer, and two propellers and can dive to a maximum depth of 10 meters.

The submarine took two years to build and test in a courtyard outside Beijing between 2007 and 2009 and cost the inventor 30,000 yuan ($4,385). "Although the equipment is simple, it's enough for a basic submarine, and more importantly, it enables the passenger to see things clearly underwater," proclaimed its inventor Tao.

Tao Xiangli gets out of his homemade submarine after operating it in a lake on the outskirts of Beijing September 3, 2009.