Kites

Welcome to this edition of China Lifestyle Journeys, the series that brings you chats, discussions and insights on all aspects of Chinese living. We will cover festivals, food, traditions, customs and much, much more. I’m your host Jocelyn… and I’m Mat, just an English guy with lots of questions.

So, Mat, what’s your big question today?

(Mat)

Hello and welcome to another episode of China Lifestyle Journeys. Today, we are talking about a fascinating Chinese handicraft1, something that has a long and interesting history, something everyone knows – Chinese kites. So for most people,and Ithink me included, kites are something that kids play with. I didn’t realise that kites had such a“colourful” history, and until we started talking about this today. So I guess the obvious place to start, Jocelyn, is with the question– what do we know about the history of Chinese kites?

(Jocelyn)

OK sure, let’s start with some history. Chinese kites have a rich cultural heritage2 that dates back thousands of years. And they were believed to have originated in China between 475 BCE and 221 BCE, with the earliest kites being made of wood andresembling3 the shapes of birds. Over time, craftsmen began using lighter materials such as silk and bamboo, and later, paper and bamboo, to create these beautiful flying objects.

(Mat)

So I think that’s an important point for everyone. The idea of kites was actually invented by the Chinese, a few thousand years ago. How do we know this? Do we have any solid evidence?

(Jocelyn)

Well, most historians agree that the origins of kites can be traced back to4 ancient China. We have quite a lot historical records and accounts that provide strong indications that the ancient Chinese invented kites.

(Mat)

So if the kites were invented by the ancient Chinese all those years ago, what were they doing with these kites? Were they just going to the park like people today, flying their kites in the park as a way to relax?

(Jocelyn)

That’s a very good question actually. In ancient China, kites had important practical uses. Actually, they didn’t start out as something fun in the park – this came much later. Kites were originally developed for military purposes, particularly during the Warring States Period5 (475 – 221 BCE). There are some historical accounts that tell us about two Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban. They both played a role in inventing kites formilitary intelligence6, measuring distances, and calculating wind readings7. Actually, kites provided valuable information for strategic movements and communication, similar to ship flags at sea. So think about it, if you had a huge army on a field, and you wanted to give orders, like this group move over there, and that group move forward and so on, they didn’t have mobile phones or radio communication, but they did have kites. So early kites were a form of signal communication, different shapes, different colours and different designs had specific meanings (related to military movements).

(Mat)

Wow, I had never thought about kites in that way. So actually kites are more important than we think. They were an early form of communication, that’s pretty cool actually. So when did people start designing and creating the types of kites that we see today, in the shape of birds, dragons and fish, and things like this?  And do these animal designs have any special meaning?

(Jocelyn)

Well, the designs we see in modern kites, such as birds, dragons, and fish, have evolved over time. The art of designing and creating elaborate and beautiful kites really began sometime during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties8. And during this period, kites changed quite a lot in terms of9 size, design, decoration, and even flying skills. The shapes of animals in kites often carry symbolic meanings deeplyrooted10 in Chinese culture. Birds may represent freedom and grace, while dragons symbolise power and prosperity. And fish can symbolise abundance and good fortune.  

(Mat)

You just mentioned “flying skills”. Is there really a skill to fly a kite? I thought you just throw the kite into the wind, the kite goes up in the wind and you hold the string to stop it flying away. Am I missing something? Is there more to kite-flying than I know?

(Jocelyn)

Absolutely, Mat. There are certain skills needed to fly a kite effectively. It requires a combination of factors, such as selecting the right site and weather conditions, choosing the appropriate kite for those conditions, launching11 the kite into the air with precision, adjusting the line to control the kite's flight, and maintaining control throughout the flying experience. Experienced kite flyers understand how wind patterns and movements affect the kite's behaviour and make adjustments accordingly. They also use special techniques, such as pulling and releasing the line, at exactly the right moment to perform tricks.  

(Mat)

That's fascinating! I never realised there was so much skill involved in flying a kite. Now I can see that it is much more than just throwing it into the wind and holding onto the string. Now, one final question, the materials used to make Chinese kites, I think you mentioned these earlier, something about paper and bamboo. Tell me something more about that.

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