Kite Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
Lhasa kites are popular in Lhasa, Xigaze (Shigatse), Zedang, and other places in Tibet, and spread to the neighboring countries of Nepal and Bhutan; in the Qing dynasty they were fashionable among the upper strata of the Tibetan people.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The 13th Dalai Lama favored kites and once conferred a seal upon the 'Shangzai,' who specialized in supplying kites and processing kite string. In the eighth month of the Tibetan calendar the Ü-Tsang region has fairly strong winds, the season for flying kites. Folk belief holds that if kites are flown too early, autumn will end prematurely. Lhasa kite flying has many rules. In timing, Lhasa flies them after the Shoton Festival, while Xigaze requires the lay official of the eastern Dongtou district to fly first. The shapes and use of kites are governed by age rules: six-spoke, eight-spoke, and ten-spoke kites must be chosen separately according to age. Tibetan kites are relatively uniform in form, mostly diamond-shaped flat surfaces, but particular about painted patterns, with six types: 'Jiawo' (big beard), 'Guma' or 'Guna' (nail-head or black-head), 'Miluo' (glaring eyes), 'Qiva' (bare teeth), 'Bangdian' (apron), and 'Galin' (leg-bone trumpet). Because of their brilliant colors, the sky is a dazzle of color when they are flown. Normally these kites are hung on walls, regarded as sacred objects that lift one's luck. Subtle changes in paying out and reeling in the line can make the kite rapidly rise and fall, spin, and roll left and right in the air. Its greatest feature is 'fighting': the one whose line finally breaks and drifts away is the loser. All manner of fighting techniques ultimately center on the 'line tangling' (jiaoxian); the quality of the line is crucial, so in making there is a process step of applying 'Na.' The main ingredient of 'Na' is powdered broken glass, to which a sticky plant called 'Wangla' is added, then pounded rice, white sugar, and water are mixed and boiled down. When it cools to a certain temperature, one puts the 'Na' in the palm and passes the kite's line through the fingers, so that 'Na' of uneven coarseness adheres like a sawtooth. Lhasa kite making is seasonal. Each autumn in Lhasa, Xigaze, and other towns there are people who specially make kites for sale. The Ladakaqi family of Xigaze and the Ciren (Tsering) family of Lhasa have exquisite, distinctive kite-making skills and considerable influence.
Archival Record of Process Steps
All manner of fighting techniques ultimately center on the 'line tangling' (jiaoxian); the quality of the line is crucial, so in making there is a process step of applying 'Na.'
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Kite-making craft has two great centers: the northern cities such as Haidian District, Beijing, and Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. The Lhasa kite is the most representative kite form on the Tibetan plateau; in the eighth month of the Tibetan calendar the Ü-Tsang region has fairly strong winds, the season for flying kites. Folk belief holds that if kites are flown too early, autumn will end prematurely, so Lhasa's flying day is fixed after the Shoton Festival, and Xigaze requires the lay official of the eastern Dongtou district to fly first.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The flying skill of Lhasa kites is manifested in aerial combat and play. But now a group of accomplished kite artisans have died one after another or grown aged past seventy, and the craft faces the danger of being lost.
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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