Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: January 17, 2023 | 
| 中文
An old Chinese painting depicting the pleasure of kite flying
Long before the Wright brothers invented the airplane in 1903, recognized as ‘the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight’, Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, sculptor and architect, studied the possibility of mechanical flight. In the 15th century, he produced more than 35,000 words and 500 sketches dealing with flying machines, the nature of air and bird flight. Way before Benjamin Franklin popularized the Kite Test to understand the nature of electricity, the earliest master aeronautical engineers, military minds, and artists of China had gifted kites to mankind. Kites were created in China almost 3000 years ago (475-221 B.C.), and remained exclusive to China for years before the knowledge of how to make and use them spread across the globe.
An ancient painting depicting kite flying in China
Interestingly, the earliest kites in China were for military purposes such as measuring distances for moving large armies. Mu Yuan or wooden kites, find a mention in the tales of Mozi (470-391 B.C.). Mozi was a philosopher and lived a century later than Confucius (551-479 B.C.). He wrote extensively about the use of wooden bird kites in China. The use of paper kites occurred a millennium later, when kites were flown in order to appeal for help during the siege of Nanjing. This was a time when kites were still used mainly as functional devices to calculate and record wind readings and communicate in a fashion similar to flags of ships. According to a record, “(Kites) first appeared in the wars of the Spring and Autumn Period (770- 476 B.C.). The prominent ideologist Mo Zi spent three years constructing a wooden kite that failed after one day's flight. One book noted that the master carpenter, Lu Ban, also made some that were flown high to spy on the enemy. The technology evolved further during the historical Chu-Han War of 203 - 202 BC. The general of the Han troops, Zhang Liang, ordered his soldiers to fly kites in the heavy fog around the Chu troops led by Xiang Yu. Children sitting in the large kites played tunes of Chu (the present Hubei Province) on flutes. Hearing the melodies, the Chu soldiers began to miss their homes and scattered without fighting in the war…. Another use was to deliver urgent messages.”
A beautiful old kite adorned with traditional Chinese drawing
It was not until the prosperous Tang (618-907 C.E.) dynasty that lighter kites made of silk and paper with bamboo for the ribs, made their appearance. It was at this time that kites came to transcend their humble military or functional origins and become an instrument of leisure.
Recreational kite flying motivated artists and enthusiasts to start using ornamental paper, silk, and calligraphy to adorn their apparatus. Mythological characters, legendary figures and Chinese Zodiac symbols were used to embellish. Some had whistles or strings attached to make unique sounds while flying. During the Ming (1368-1644 C.E.) and Qing (1644-1911 C.E.) dynasties, kite making and flying become an art form. Kites featured colorful birds, flowers, blossoms and of course, calligraphy. Kites became a vehicle of artistic expression, often with literary overtones.
Beautifully designed kites by a Chinese couple
Kite construction consists of three parts: framing, gluing and decoration. Mostly, bamboo is used to create the bones of a kite. It is light, exceptionally strong and pliable. Many frame shapes have been popular over centuries including birds, butterflies, diamonds, dragonflies as well as insects, such as centipedes or mythical animals like dragons. Silk and paper are the materials of choice for the kite's sail. Silk is considered more expensive and fragile, while the paper is cheaper and more practical to work with. The paper type used is generally very thin but fibrous, which reduces its weight and is often treated with a thin layer of oil to preserve it. Once the kite's sail has been glued to the frame, the kite is then decorated. Tassels and sometimes hollow reeds are attached to give the kite movement or produce sound. Modern kite artisans are also producing kites with materials such as plastic, nylon, LED lights and specialized noise-makers. Movement is incorporated into a kite with hinged sections of the frame, suggesting a wing or tail.
A modern-day kite flying festival
The Chinese city of Weifang, also known as ‘the World Kite Capital’, is home to the International Kite Association and holds the Weifang International Kite Festival from April 20th to the 25th each year. Thousands of kite enthusiasts from all corners of the globe, visit the city to participate in kite competitions. The climax of the festival is the crowning of ‘The Kite King’. Weifang also has a museum dedicated to the history of kites. It was in 1282 in Weifang that Marco Polo witnessed the flying of a manned kite. According to Marco Polo's travel diary, there existed a tradition in Weihai at the time for testing the wind with a kite in order to determine if an imminent voyage would be good or not. This was done by binding a sailor to a large kite onto a ship as it ‘rode with the wind’, casting the kite and sailor off the ship into the breeze. If the kite and passenger flew high and straight, it was a sign that the voyage would be a good one. When he returned to Italy, Marco Polo brought with him a Chinese kite, and soon the Chinese kite became known throughout Europe, and from Europe it traveled to other parts of the world. In the History of Flight pavilion at the National Aeronautics and Space Museum in Washington D.C., a plaque is installed that states, “The earliest aircraft made by man were the kites and missiles of ancient China."
Entrance hall of the Kite Museum in Weifang
While the basic procedure remains the same, styles of kite-making vary. Swallow-shaped kites are the most popular and craftsmen fashion them in many different ways. Some are strewn with peonies, bats and other auspicious patterns to bring the owner good fortune. A larger kite can measure hundreds of meters, while the smallest can be put in an envelope. Selecting the right site and weather, choosing the kite, launching the kite into the air, adjusting the line, and controlling the kite are important for flying the kite successfully. The most famous kite-making traditions of China are the styles of Beijing, Tianjin, Weifang, Sichuan and Guangdong Provinces. The characteristics of Beijing kites include delicate frameworks, colored drawings and are expensive. Typical Beijing kites are Caoshi, Jinshi and Hashi, with many new types emerging in recent years. Weifang kites have passed their unique artistic individuality from generation to generation and demonstrate folk customs. Weifang kites are known for wood-blocking and traditional paintings. The Tianjin kites are unique for their framework and fastening, while the Nantong kites are embellished with a multi-tuned whistle and possess an unmatched elegance. Various whistles, big and small, from one hundred to three hundred, are installed on the Nantong kites, hence the kites' nickname ‘Symphony on Air’.
An old man teaching kids how to make kites
Flat, hard-winged, soft-winged and centipede are different structural forms employed by all these kites. Centipedes are kite-trains with a dragonhead and a train of equally dimensioned kite disks. Head and disks are interconnected, with one or more often three lines, and have enormous air traction power. These kites give an attractive and vivid in-flight view, especially when the wind moves.
An assemblage of flying kites
Hundreds of years later, kites still remain central to all celebrations and public leisure in China. Besides decorative and festive looks, when they fly across the skies of China, kites symbolize Chinese history, culture and skills. For many, the appeal of kite flying remains spiritual, the flyer puts all negativity and bad luck on the kite and as it maneuvers through the wind, it brings luck to its handler.
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