Kites rise to festive occasion

Skills inherited

Yang Hongwei, 57, is a leading inheritor of the city's tradition. Born into a kite-making family, Yang grew up in the company of brightly colored kites of different shapes and sizes, which her grandfather made in his workshop.

She started to learn kite-making skills from her grandfather when she was 16, and after practicing the craft for 10 years, Yang set up her own workshop in 1992.

Her creations include butterfly and swallow patterns, as well as designs and images from Chinese mythology, legends and history.

This year, Yang made a 52-meter-long kite painted with a dragon's head. She added to it paintings of 100 zhuangyuan (candidates who finished in top place over the years in annual national-level recruitment exams for officials in ancient China).

Yang has traveled to countries such as Germany, Australia and New Zealand to share Chinese stories related to kites and to teach the traditional craft of making them.

"Many parts of the world have a tradition of flying kites, but I think our kites have a unique cultural background," she said.

Zhang Jianwei, director of the comprehensive service center at the Weifang International Kite Association, said, "The city's kites account for more than 75 percent of the international kite market and nearly 85 percent of the domestic market."

More than 600 kite companies are based in Weifang — employing over 80,000 people. The association said these companies generate annual sales of over 2 billion yuan ($290 million).

Wangjiazhuangzi village in Weifang is known as the "No 1 Kite Village in China".More than 100 local enterprises are engaged in kite-making, with many villagers processing fabric and the hand-held line wheels used to fly the kites.

Wang Tieyuan, deputy director of the city's kite association, said: "The annual kite festival has helped the village expand its markets. We expect to sell 90 million kites this year."

More than half the villagers work in the kite industry or related sectors, Wang said, adding that many farmers also take part in this business when they have the time.

From design and raw materials to accessories, the village has formed a relatively complete industrial chain.

In recent years, villagers have used e-commerce platforms to increase sales. Each year, more than 40 million kites from Wangjiazhuangzi are sold worldwide via such platforms.

Kites have provided a platform for Weifang to boost development in various fields, ranging from promoting rural vitalization to spurring the city's overseas trade.

Kite-flying has also become a popular pursuit in Weifang, with local residents frequently seen flying their kites in squares and in fields set aside for the activity.

Zhang said, "We will hold regular activities for free to enable young people to experience this activity and better acquaint them with kites."