Kites and Flight

Kites have a long history in China dating back some 2000 years.  Birds are one of the most common animals used for traditional kites, this one is painted to look like a duck.  The wings can be detached after use so it can be stored in a protected location like this silk box.

Most traditional kites from China start out with pieces of dried bamboo which are heated over a small flame from a candle or alcohol burner to allow the creator to bend the bamboo into the desired shape.  Thread is wound around joints and metal pins are inserted so pieces such as the wings can be folded for storage.  The frame is then covered with glue and then silk or paper is applied and then hand painted.  The final kite is trimmed with scissors and then a loop of string is tied to the body to allow for attachment of the kite line.  As a result they are very lite and fragile but ideal for flying.  This is a frame for a kite that will be made into an Eagle. 

One of the earliest kite designs is in the shape of an Eagle.  This kite is very realistically painted, the talons have claws made of bamboo and silk that is painted yellow and attached with glue.  Historical records note that Eagle kites like this were used by the Military.  During battles kites would be flown over enemy city walls and the length of the string would be used to determine a more accurate distance to their target for artillery or digging tunnels.  The kites could also be stuffed with printed papers that would fall out while flying over the enemy.  These were probably the first leaflet drops in history!

This kite is a more modern example and is in the shape of an owl.  The wings have hinges and can be detached and folded for storage with the rest of the body in the box.

This is a kite painted to look like a phoenix.  A phoenix is a fabulous type of bird reborn out of the ashes of its earlier life.  The wings, head and body are all made out of paper that has been colorfully painted with the tail made out of silk fabric.  The legs are bamboo wrapped in paper that has been painted yellow and loosely dangles from the bird in a realistic way during flight.  The head, wings and legs all detach from the body so it can be stored in the box.

This is a beautiful kite painted to look like a crane.  The legs and tail move independently and are held onto the body with string so they dangle realistically during flight.  Each wing can detach and have hinges that can allow them to fold in half for storage with the body in the box.

This very traditional kite is very finely painted in the form of a bird called a sand swallow.  Each wing can detach from the body and fold in half lengthwise, the tail can detach and fold in half vertically for storage in the box.

This is a kite that is made to look like a pair of birds, these in particular are modeled after a type of bird called a sand swallow.  The three piece wooden support they hang from is made out of bamboo and has small metal clips that are slid into place to hold it straight.  The heads of each kite are unlike other kites in that they are concave and designed to catch the wind and cause the kites to vear from side to side.  They also have a hinged tail that sways in the wind along with the motion of the kite.  Each bird is attached with a string from the center of its chest to each end of the bamboo support.  The center of the bamboo support is attached to the main kite string that is connected to the reel or can be attached to a larger kite so that the birds appear to trail behind a kite. When finished the metal clips on the bamboo support can be slid back and the support folded and the wings of the birds can be removed so that it can all be stored in the box.

This is a train or centipede type kite that combines multiple kites together, in this case six swan kites are connected to form a line of swans.  This kite was made in Tianjin.  Each swan is hand painted on paper and is glued to a bamboo frame.  There are four strings, two that go through the body and one in each wing that help to keep each swan oriented correctly.  The equal distance between each swan is maintained in flight by knots that are tied along the length of the strings that stop or limit their travel.  Each swan also has tiny metal pins in the wings that allow them to be folded and fit in the box for safe keeping.

This is a kite made in Tianjin and is a traditional artistic type resembling a bat with some peaches and peach leaves painted on the top of the wings.  The bat symbolizes good fortune, good luck and helps to ward away evil while the peach symbolizes longevity and immortality.  The color red symbolizes life-giving energy like blood, the sun, warmth, happiness and prosperity.  The wings can detach and have hinges with metal clips that can be slid back and wings folded and the tail can also detach from the body so it can be stored in the box.

This kite is a traditional design and is an artistic type that is in the shape of a butterfly from the Tianjin region.  The tails on the hind wings are also functional and are helpful in keeping the kite aligned in the wind.  The eyes are cupped and rotate around bamboo skewers independantly when the wind blows on them, it is a favorite with children!  All four wings and the antennae can be detached from the body and folded for storage in the box.

This is another handpainted butterfly kite, this also has eyes that are cupped and spin around a bamboo skewer when the wind gusts.  All four wings detach and fold in half for storage with the body in the box.

This kite is painted to look like a grasshopper and is a combination of bamboo for the frame, legs and antennae, paper mache for the head and thorax and silk for the abdomen and wings.  Each leg, all four wings, the abdomen and the antennae detach from the body and the wings can be folded in half for storage.

Although birds were the most popular form for kites, insects were often painted as well.  This kite is a smaller one and is painted to look like a cicada.

Larger kites like this one painted to look like a dragonfly have wings that have tiny metal pins in them so they can be detached, folded in half and be stored away in a box when not in use.  The eyes are painted on both sides and have a cupped design that is used to catch the wind and start to spin around small bamboo axes when the wind gusts.  Also the abdomen is articulated and the apendages at the tip of the abdomen are curved like a propeller which spins in the wind.

This one is painted to look like a goldfish, this one has eyes that can spin with the wind

This one is a crab, it can be attached to a kite string with the loop of string from the center of the body.  The three legs and backfin on each side are held together as a group and can each be detached for storage in the box.

This is a kite painted to look like a sea turtle, a gold ribbon five meters long has been attached to the tail so it can fly properly in the wind.  The shell, head and tail are three dimensional and the legs are flat.  The turtle design is painted on silk and glued over a bamboo frame.  The string to attach to the kite line is found on the bottom of the shell.  The legs can each detach for storage in the box.

This is a type of flat kite from Yangjiang, in the southern part of China.  This kite is all one piece.  The Lingzhi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) is depicted in pink at the bottom on top of a prancing sika deer.  The Lingzhi mushroom is known as the resurrection mushroom because of its medicinal qualities.  The delicate oval design has a depiction of Bai Suzhen or the White Snake goddess painted from the traditional myth "The Legend of the White Snake".  The White Snake goddess is worshipped in China as a deity of medicine, healing and true love and is depicted stealing the Lingzhi mushroom to save Xu Xian.  Another unique feature of this kite is the thin band present at the very top, when the thin band is exposed to high winds in flight the band will vibrate in the wind and make a unique sound.

This is a delicately painted kite of a goddess riding a phoenix.  Each of the wings can be detached and folded for storage.

This hand painted kite is made of silk and bamboo and is painted to look like the Monkey King, one of the characters found in the traditional tale "Journey to the West".  The top of his pole can be detached and the hinges in the wings allow it to be folded down and leg folded back toward the body so it can fit in the box for storage.

This is a type of figure kite with a princess painted on it.  The body is all one piece but each side can detach and fold in half lengthwise for storage in the box.

This is a very small type of flat kite that is one piece.

Another very small delicate kite painted to look like a Maple tree leaf, mother nature has been the inspiration for some of the first kites

These are some of the different types of traditional wooden kite reels used to wind the silken thread onto that is used to control the kites while aloft in the wind. Most of these are used for smaller to medium sized kites that stay aloft in the air for long periods.  The larger spoked reel in the box is called a panying kite reel and is a newer type, the large size of this reel allows the user to quickly retreive the line on stout wing acrobatic kites for quick manuvering at short range.

Ancient tales tell of the use of bamboo hats being used to help slow the descent of those who jumped off tall buildings to escape fires.

These are traditional helicopter toys made of bamboo.  One version seen here flies into the air when the shaft is rolled in between the hands.  Also shown is another form that when the string is pulled the carved bamboo propeller that fits into the holes ontop flies up into the air.