Kite Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
In the Ming dynasty, Weifang kites were mainly plank kites; later it gradually formed a modeling series centered on rigid-wing kites, with the long string of centipede kites being the most spectacular (reaching over 360 meters at longest), flexible-wing kites being the clever ones, and tube kites being the unusual ones. The subjects include figure stories, birds and beasts, fish and insects, and so on.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
It was precisely this special geographical environment that gave birth to Weifang kites; their production and making are concentrated in the Yangjiabu area of Hanting District and in Kuiwen District and Weicheng District. Weifang kites flourished in Yangjiabu Village in the early Ming dynasty. At that time, villagers already had the engraving and printing techniques of woodblock New Year pictures, and in their spare time each spring they used the paper and pigments for printing New Year pictures to draw various patterns and frame kites. At first they were only for self-amusement or for giving to relatives and friends, but later gradually developed into a commodity. Weifang kites are characterized by stable takeoff and high flight. Whether flexible-wing, rigid-wing, string-type, or three-dimensional kites, apart from plank kites which need a weight, all others rise smoothly into the blue sky without any auxiliary object. Although the framing method is simple—using as few as three bamboo strips and no more than seven—it stresses even bamboo strips, a regular and proper frame, left-right symmetry, and tying the line at the center of gravity; the imagery is concise, the colors bright, and the contrast strong. But in recent years, because of concern for production cost, the traditional cultural connotation has been neglected; materials have been changed to nylon cloth and carbon-steel tubes, losing the traditional craft and also the local character of Weifang kites.
Building the bamboo frame
A Weifang kite uses only three to seven bamboo splints; the frame must be even, square and symmetrical with its centre of gravity on the bridle point.
Papering the face
The face is made of the surplus paper of local woodblock new-year prints; the thickness of the paste decides whether the kite stays flat in the wind.
Setting the bridle
The bridle point trims the lift: too high and the kite stalls, too low and it noses into the ground; the Weifang makers fix it once by feel.
Stringing the centipede kites
Centipede kites are built section by section and linked in order along the spine, so the whole chain leans forward and rises as a row.
Flying the plank kite with a tail-weight
The broad plank kite needs a tail-weight to rise, while soft-wing, hard-wing, string and three-dimensional forms climb without any ballast.
Dragon-head centipede and crane-boy kites
The inheritor Han Fuling's dragon-head centipede and crane-boy kites win bronze and gold awards for their shape, colour and stable rise.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Weifang City lies in the middle of the Shandong Peninsula, bordering Bohai Bay to the north and facing the Yellow Sea to the south. In spring there is much wind and little rain, the wind direction is uniform, instantaneous fluctuations are small, and the wind force is essentially normally distributed. By the Qianlong reign (1736–1795), kite-making had become an important local handicraft.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Kite Making Craftsmanship · Kite Making Craftsmanship · Kite Making Craftsmanship · Kite Making Craftsmanship · Kite Making Craftsmanship · Kite Making Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, nearly one hundred specialized kite-framing households exist in West Yangjiabu Village, with over three hundred kite varieties and an annual output approaching one million kites. The main inheritors are Yang Qixin, Yang Qimin, Yang Lianmin, Yang Naizhong, Yang Xueshun, and others. Han Fuling (from the official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in September 1934, a native of Weifang City, Shandong Province. A representative inheritor of the third national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage items, for the kite-making craft (Weifang kite). A kite-making technician. The kites he frames have graceful shapes, bright colors, stable takeoff, and a strong rustic flavor. His representative works include the dragon-head centipede kite and the crane-and-boy kite. His works have won gold medals in domestic and international kite competitions many times. The dragon-head centipede kite won a bronze award at the inaugural China Arts and Crafts Master Works Exhibition hosted by the China Arts and Crafts Association. While practicing the kite-making craft, he has devoted much effort to the transmission cause and has over twenty disciples. At the same time, he also emphasizes cultivating youngsters' interest in framing kites, and has repeatedly gone to schools to teach the kite-making craft. Zhang Xiaodong (from the official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in October 1949, a native of Weifang City, Shandong Province. A representative inheritor of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage items, for the kite-making craft (Weifang kite). A Weifang arts-and-crafts master. At the age of eight he studied the kite-making craft under master Yang Tongke, and is the fifth-generation inheritor of the Yangjiabu kite-framing technique. He integrates scientific and technological elements such as sound, light, and electricity into the kite-framing craft, uses the mechanical principle of gears to make more dynamic new-style kites, and draws on the decorative beauty of New Year pictures and clay sculpture to form different stylistic systems, promoting innovation in kite-making. He has already taught over one hundred apprentices. His works have participated in the Weifang International Kite Festival held by the International Kite Federation and other units, winning innovation-framing gold, silver, and bronze awards many times.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Guo Chengyi 01-0197
- Han Fuling 03-1345
- Wei Yongzhen 03-1346
- Hayiqi 04-1867
- Fei Baoling 04-1868
- Wei Guoqiu 04-1869
- Kong Lingmin 05-2781
- Zhang Xiaodong 05-2782
- Yang Hongwei
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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