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  • Category: Culture

Kite is an ancient invention in China. The earliest kite was born in the Spring and Autumn Period 2,400 years ago. Starting from the Sui and Tang Dynasties, kite flying gradually became a mass entertainment activity. According to research, the world's earliest wooden kite was successfully flown by Lu Ban at the foot of Lu Mountain in the southwest of Qingzhou in Weifang. Therefore, Weifang, Shandong Province has become an important birthplace of kites in China and even the world.

The reason why kites can fly into the blue sky is due to the discovery and application of aerodynamics by ancient Chinese inventors. From the day it was invented, kites have entrusted the ancients with their dreams of flying across the sky. According to historical records, more than 500 years ago, a man named Wanhu in the Ming Dynasty tied 47 rockets with seats, lit them as power, and tied two large kites to his body, trying to fly into the sky. Wanhu paid the price of his life to realize his dream. In the 1970s, the International Astronomical Union permanently named a crater on the far side of the moon "Wanhu Mountain" to commemorate this Chinese hero who fought against the sky with his life.

When kites were first invented, they were mostly used in military and technological fields. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, with the development of the paper industry, people began to use paper to draw kites. Cheap paper kites became an entertainment tool that could also be consumed by ordinary people. Flying kites in the spring breeze has become a unique Qingming Festival custom in China; the craft of making kites has been passed down from generation to generation, and new ones are constantly being introduced.

Flying kites in spring is a custom that has lasted for more than 2,000 years in China. Every spring, in Weifang, Shandong Province, the hometown of kites, all kinds of kites fill the sky. It is said that in Weifang, anything can be made into a kite and fly into the blue sky, including folk stories, cartoon images, and every bit of beauty in daily life.