A man from Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, afraid that his home would be submerged in a doomsday flood in 2012, has poured his life savings of 1 million yuan ($160,500) into building what he hopes will be his own indestructible ark.

Lu Zhenghai began building the boat in 2010, China News Service reported on Wednesday.

The vessel, designed by Lu himself, is 21.2 meters long, 15.5 meters wide and 5.6 meters high.

And it displaces about 140 tons of water. The boat will have a total weight of 80 tons after it is completed. 

Lu said he was worried that the apocalypse would happen in 2012, so he decided to invest all his money into the boat, which he hoped would be a lifesaving refuge.

Other major motivations for building the boat were to receive sightseers alongside the Tarim River, combat floods and provide ferry services.

Lu, who holds a bachelor's degree in science, was head of a construction company in Xinjiang before he became a land contractor.

Lu said that due to a lack of funds, the boat is still not completed after two years of work.

"Now the boat still needs at least another million yuan for more equipment," said Lu.

China News Service