Weifang International Kite Festival
The Weifang International Kite Festival (Chinese: 潍坊国际风筝节) is an annual kite-flying festival held during April 20 to April 25 every year in Weifang, People's Republic of China.
Weifang, Shandong, China is known as the kite capital of the world,[1] for people consider Weifang to be the birthplace of kites. Each spring, people in the city fly kites as a leisure outdoor activity.[2]
On April 1, 1984, with the help and support of the Chairman of the Seattle Kite Association, David Checkley, the first International Kite Festival was held in Weifang. 1988, April 1, the presidium of Weifang International Kite Festival unanimously adopted the proposal and set Weifang as the "Kite Capital". In the following year, during the Sixth Kite Festival, the International Kite Federation was founded by representatives from China, the USA, Japan, the UK, Italy, and other twelve countries, and the headquarters was also set in Weifang.[3][4] During the Festival, a performance will be held in the evening. Many famous Chinese singers give performances at the gala.
The designs on most Chinese kites have a symbolic meaning or illustration from Chinese folklore or history. Tortoises, cranes and peaches signify long life, bats are a sign of good luck, butterflies and flowers represent harmony and a dragon design represents power and prosperity.
During the Cultural Revolution kite flying was banned and a few Chinese kite makers who ignored the ban were given a 3-year jail sentence and all their kites were destroyed by the Red Guards. Others kite makers who wanted keep their skills and carry on the ancient tradition made miniature kites in secret. These kites are now highley collectable. The present government encourages kite making and flying as a means of keeping healthy, also the manufacturing and exporting of kites which adds to the economy.