2024年4月30日《中国日报》要闻16-17版

中国新闻奖获奖作品推荐表 

pagebreakpagebreak

中国新闻奖获奖作品文字稿

作品标题：2024年4月30日《中国日报》要闻16-17版

Flights of Kites

  Editor’s note: Traditional arts and crafts are supreme samples of Chinese cultural heritage. China Daily is running this series to show how master artisans are using dedication and innovation to inject new life into the heritage. In this installment, we explore how traditional kite-makers give flight to their creativity today.

  An ancient folk craft tradition floats across time and still soars to new heights, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

  Many people hold at least one memory of a kite from their childhoods — be it a simple yet classic diamond or a colorful bird-shaped kind with vividly flapping wings.

  It could be a sunny spring day in a pastoral landscape with family members. As the wind picks up, the flyer runs as fast as they can, until the kite ascends high into the sky and dances in the air.

  The kite that Yang Hongwei, 58, from Yangjiabu village in Shandong province's Weifang, remembers, however, is slightly different. It was a gigantic dragon-headed centipede that stretched for 360 meters and took dozens of people to fly.

  That was at the third Weifang International Kite Festival in 1986. To celebrate their village's legacy of crafting kites, her grandfather, Yang Tongke, and uncle, Yang Qimin — both master kite-makers — boldly envisioned and created a model 10 times bigger than any they'd ever made.

  Weifang is renowned as the "world capital of kites", and Yangjiabu village has long remained at the heart of local production.

  Yang Hongwei, who was born to a family of artisan kite-makers in the village, became a national-level representative inheritor of Weifang kite-making techniques this year.

  "Here in Weifang, we have a saying, 'there's nothing you can think of that can't fly'. We have the ideal wind conditions, and so many kite lovers, top-notch artisans and different kinds of handmade kites," she says.

  Yangjiabu is small enough to qualify as a village, yet is home to two national-level intangible cultural heritage items — kites and Yangjiabu New Year pictures, a type of traditional woodblock printing used to decorate people's homes during Spring Festival.

  Both art forms emerged in Yangjiabu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and prospered in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

  "Our kites' decorations draw inspiration from the New Year pictures, so each one carries its own story and auspicious connotations," Yang Hongwei says.

  She brought a variety of representative Weifang kites to the recent 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer, France, including a dragon-headed centipede kite with images of 100 children, which are often depicted as the subjects of local New Year pictures.

  The kite features a dragon head with a body and tail fashioned from around 50 discs, each of which is hand-painted with images of children, carrying wishes for longevity, wealth, prosperity and other blessings.

  "Throughout history, kites have been close to people's daily lives and influenced by folk traditions," says Ma Zhiyao, a professor at Tianjin University who specializes in folklore and intangible cultural heritage.

  "They have not only become embedded in folk culture but also provided entertainment and physical activity. This heritage has been passed down, demonstrating the enduring vitality of Chinese civilization."

  Kites' origins can be traced back to the late Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), with historical accounts attributing their invention to the philosopher Mozi, who spent three years crafting a wooden hawk, which is considered a prototype for today's kites.

  Later, master carpenter and engineer Lu Ban made improvements by substituting wood with bamboo.

  Kites are considered one of the earliest forms of aircraft. Ancient books recorded their functions in aerial reconnaissance and transmitting military intelligence.

  During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), inventor Cai Lun improved papermaking techniques, leading to the invention of "paper hawks", which resembled kites as we know them today.

  "Kites' origins reveal the remarkable ability and creativity of ancient Chinese to imitate nature and explore its mysteries," Ma says.

  "They observed birds and thought of using wood and paper to make objects that could soar in the sky. They were driven by curiosity and a spirit of scientific exploration to understand and harness the power of wind."

  During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the relative stability and prosperity made paper more affordable, and kites truly became part of people's lives.

  As kite-making techniques became more refined, varieties adorned with imagery and that produced sound effects were developed.

  This period gradually also saw kite flying becoming a custom during festivals. Late Tang-era poet Luo Yin wrote a poem about kite flying on the Cold Food Festival, which then fell directly before the springtime Tomb Sweeping Day and was later merged with it.

  The custom was popularized in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). By the Ming and Qing dynasties, significant progress was continuing in design, style, production, decoration and flying skills.

  "Many literati liked to make silk kites as gifts for their families and friends. They'd carefully select refined materials and then paint the silk cover by hand. These kites were exquisite and lasting," Ma says.

  Novel development

  One of history's most famous kite lovers is Cao Xueqin, a literary giant of the Qing Dynasty who wrote the seminal novel, Dream of the Red Chamber. In the book, kite flying was portrayed as a pastime of the genteel protagonist family and was also used as metaphors for the characters' destinies.

  In the book's 70th chapter, a main character suggests kite flying to "let go of bad luck" — a belief traditionally associated with kites.

  "In the past, when it came to Cold Food Festival and Tomb Sweeping Day, kite flying was considered a key custom," Ma explains.

  "After making sacrifices to ancestors, people would fly kites, which on one hand expresses thoughts about family members and on the other lets go of all unhappiness and ill omens."

  And on Dragon Boat Festival, which was traditionally believed to be the most poisonous day of the year — with mosquitoes and flies breeding in large numbers, as well as various bacteria multiplying in summer — people would fly kites, representing the shaking off of misfortune, so that family members could live long and healthy lives, Ma adds.

  Cao wrote another book in his later years that compiled the kite-making techniques of both southern and northern China, recording the skills of kite making and flying, using mnemonic rhymes and illustrations to help readers understand and remember these techniques.

  "When Cao wrote the book, his main wish was to help people with disabilities or otherwise struggling financially to acquire a skill, so they could support themselves," says Miao Bogang, 43, a representative inheritor of "Cao's kites".

  The book, however, was only privately collected and withdrawn from circulation until 1943, when Kong Xiangze, who was then a student of painting and sculpture, was assigned by his teacher to transcribe a borrowed manuscript, which turned out to be Cao's work on kites.

  Due to time limits, Kong only managed to make records of 14 of the 43 varieties in the book, and later spent decades working on restoring and refining these techniques, which he named "Cao's kites".

  Miao was a kite-making enthusiast in his teenage years and was introduced to Kong Lingmin, son of Kong Xiangze and an inheritor of "Cao's kites", who recognized Miao's talent and diligence, and took him in as an apprentice.

  "I've followed him in studying 'Cao's kites' for more than 20 years, during which time I've come to truly understand the techniques for making, and the principles of flying, kites, as well as Cao's humanitarian spirit when he wrote this book," Miao says.

  "Both masters (Kong Xiangze and Kong Lingmin) told me: Skills belong to individuals; culture belongs to societies. So, we as inheritors have been focusing on passing down kite-making techniques and sharing this culture with as many people as possible."

  Flying into the future

  Weifang, Beijing, Tianjin and Jiangsu province's Nantong are four major areas that are celebrated for distinctive kite-making techniques. They all boast their own unique features yet share the same dedication to preserving, inheriting and promoting traditional craftsmanship.

  In Tianjin, there is a family known as "kite Wei", after late Qing Dynasty virtuoso artisan Wei Yuantai, who's widely known for crafting exquisite, lifelike kites. In 1915, 11 of his works were exhibited and won a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

  The Wei family's fifth generation continues to inherit and perfect the "four techniques" — crafting the frame from roasted split bamboo, pasting such materials as paper and silk onto the frame, painting images on the body and finally flying the kite.

  The Wei family is proud to display their raw bamboo frameworks, which are the very basic yet fundamental structures.

  "In my opinion, the main features of our kites are their intricacy and details. We exclusively use the Moso bamboo from Sichuan province, and each frame must be crafted using strips from the same bamboo," says Wei Guoqiu, 63, the fourth-generation and national-level inheritor of "kite Wei".

  The thin bamboo strips are carefully roasted over fire and bent to intricate shapes, then joined together by sunmao (mortise-and-tenon) joints to form a three-dimensional framework that's light yet sturdy.

  In addition to making kites, Wei Guoqiu also hosts lectures and workshops at schools and universities. His son, Wei Bowen, is now taking up the baton as the fifth-generation inheritor.

  "We are still seeking innovations, such as changing the traditional models with more streamlined structures," Wei Guoqiu says.

  "The kites may vary in size, but we strive to make the small ones vividly lifelike, and the large ones exquisite and unique."

  Ma says the "four techniques" are a test of people's temperament, patience and dedication. Only those passing the test can truly become an inheritor of the artisanship.

  "Kite making, among other intangible cultural heritage forms' craftsmanship, tests whether the inheritors can persevere in monotonous work and continuously strive to refine their skills. It is, in essence, a process of character-building and self-cultivation," he says.

  "From an item as modest as a kite, we can see Chinese people's attachment to the cultural values associated with happiness, positivity and health. This is why the thin string linking us to kites and culture has endured until today and kite flying remains a cherished part of contemporary life."

  Enthusiasts chase sky-high thrills of wind power

  Until you see it with your own eyes, it might be difficult to envision the surreal scenes at a kite festival, which to kite lovers are ordinary encounters.

  Often on a vast expanse of grassland or beach, myriad fantastic and sublime creatures — birds, Chinese dragons, whales, octopuses, and iconic cartoon characters — command the sky and look down upon the attendees. It seems there's nothing human imagination can conjure that cannot take flight.

  Many kite festivals also include contests, which are must-see events. Under the skillful maneuvering of virtuosi, different kinds of kites ascend into the heavens and perform jaw-dropping stunts.

  There is never a lack of pulse-pounding moments, when sudden wind shifts cause two rival kites to cross paths. But most of the time, thanks to the swift yet elegant control of the flyers, the kites come to terms and return to their own tracks.

  While conventionally considered a spring activity in China, for veterans, flying kites is a year-round endeavor.

  Gao Zhenying, 66, a kite athlete with Beijing Kite Association, says that she goes to a park near her home almost every morning and flies her kite for two hours, usually a simple, single-line eagle kite that can circle in the sky as long as there's a gentle breeze.

  When she retired in 2005, Gao began accompanying her husband, Zhao Shiming, 68, also a veteran athlete, and other kite lovers to take photos for them.

  "I quite liked the kites, so after a while, taking photos was not enough, and I was tempted to try my hand at flying one. I began with dual-line triangle kites and immediately liked the feeling," she says.

  Usually one person controls one kite, but she soon learned to handle a kite in each hand and draw circles or squares in the sky with them. Later, mastering quad-line stunt kites and traditional kites came equally naturally to her.

  Gao's mantra on her social media account, "Fly with joy every day", encapsulates her passion for the sport. Whether it's to a nearby park or a distant holiday destination, the couple often gather with fellow enthusiasts and practice flying in formation, undeterred by chilly weather or strong winds.

  One of these experienced flyers, Huang He, 52, has a similar experience to Gao — initially spurred by seeing other kite flyers and wanting to have a try, and then driven to persevere out of genuine passion.

  "I first got involved in the late 1990s. Our group of flyers has gained recognition in domestic competitions, but I believe that what truly matters is not technique but persistence," Huang says.

  "We're a tight-knit group. We spend more than 300 days flying kites outdoors every year; that's nearly every day, except during adverse weather conditions. It shares similarities with all sports. When you practice enough over a sufficiently long period of time, your skills naturally improve."

  Basic skills

  In traditional Chinese kite flying contests, it is essential that competitors make their own kites, for visual appeal is part of the scoring criteria, which means that the basic skills of kite making are also required by flyers.

  "Kite flying is an activity that combines sport, art and culture, which is what makes it so appealing to me. It is rare for me to find an activity with so many elements that are attractive to me. From making the kite, the whole process enriches me and gives me a sense of achievement. I think it nurtures all-around personal growth," Huang says.

  All members of the Beijing Kite Association and also Chinese Kite Association, Gao, Zhao and Huang are frequent contestants at international kite festivals and championships, winning awards with their solo or kite ballet performances. Even so, before each competition, they would tirelessly practice the choreography.

  "It's hard to find an ideal time with perfect wind conditions," Gao says. "Sometimes, when there's no wind and I'm anxious to practice coordination, I memorize the movements by heart and imagine myself as the kite, my own movements imitating how the kite should move to the music's rhythm."

  As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, as well as the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, China was the first-ever guest country of honor at the 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer, France, between April 20 and Sunday, with events organized by the China Cultural Center in Paris and kite-makers from Weifang in Shandong province.

  Chinese-inflected cultural activities took place at the festival, including a gigantic dragon-headed centipede kite-flying performance at the opening ceremony, workshops for kite-making techniques by artisans from Weifang, as well as performances and experiential activities such as lion dances, martial arts, performances of traditional Chinese instruments and tea ceremonies.

  Liu Hongge, director of the China Cultural Center in Paris, says that the kite is a key image representing the friendship between China and France. In 1958, the two countries produced a film titled Fengzheng (The Kite), which was called Cerf-volant du Bout du Monde in French.

  The first color children's film made by the People's Republic of China, and the first coproduced with another country, it tells of the adventures and friendship between Chinese and French children created by a kite.

  "As the organizer of guest country activities, the China Cultural Center in Paris continues to leverage the image of kites, using them as a medium to tell stories about kite culture in China and France, foster mutual understanding between peoples, and contribute to the success of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism," Liu says.

  Increasing popularity

  Within China, the Chinese Kite Association hosts an annual series of kite festivals and events that attract the participation of a wider and more vibrant group of enthusiasts.

  Li Yiyang, 21, is one of the youngest members of the Beijing Kite Association and yet he has taken responsibility as the leader of the association's Team One, and has won awards at multiple contests.

  "I've got family members who are into kite flying and who took me along, so I've been fascinated by the sport since childhood. In the past six or seven years, I think I've gained a solid understanding of it," Li says.

  "At first, it was just a hobby and a way to get outdoors and exercise, but when I got more involved, I discovered its rich cultural and historical connotations. So I started delving into kites from two main perspectives, their history and their role in competitive sports."

  As he pursues his studies, Li flies kites at weekends, and in his spare time learns about them, including how to paint and make kites, as well as doing historical research.

  Between traditional and stunt kites, he is more inclined toward the former, especially kites characteristic of Beijing, and has adopted local kite-making techniques and cultural elements.

  "To me, the charm of kites lies first in allowing me to go outdoors and get some fresh air. It's beneficial to health and keeping fit. Studying kite-making has also been an opportunity to constantly improve my handcrafting and painting skills," Li says.

  "Whenever I attend classes in intangible cultural heritage or discuss with my peers, I try to share what I know about traditional Beijing kites. I hope that more young people in China and around the world will get to know more about kites, their role in traditional Chinese culture and the sportsmanship of flying kites."