By Tim Parish
The history of ancient Chinese kites is a very long one. Chinese kites have been made and flown all this time as a part of the national culture. According to historical records, this has spanned more than 2300 years. For the purpose of this article, 'ancient' means any kite constructed just like the original design, with the same materials and techniques.
Some of the traditional bamboo and silk hand-painted creations made today have hardly changed from those flown many hundreds of years ago. There is such a contrast between Chinese kites and those from the rest of the world!
Chinese kites are works of art, whether done by a master craftsman or a class of young children helped by their teacher. In both cases, the idea is to fly an artistic design on the end of a string. The traditional designs done by highly skilled craftsmen and artists have even been exhibited in museums, such is their artistic worth.
Traditional kite handicraft has flourished in three Chinese cities in particular. Tianjin, Beijing and Weifang are steeped in ancient Chinese kites history.
Types of Ancient Chinese Kites
It's interesting trying to classify these kites, since the Chinese themselves have come up with so many different ways to do this. Maybe that's not so surprising since it's a big country and they have had so long to do it. Perhaps the handiest broad classification for most purposes is the following list:
* Centipede (multiple flat sections stacked together plus a 'head')
* Rigid Winged (paper or silk tightly stretched over rigid spars)
* Soft Winged (flexible structures behind just one spar)
* Flat (just like the name says)
Spectacular Chinese dragon kites are an example of the centipede type. Other dragons are more like models of imaginary creatures, such as the modern 3D Dragon Kite. These are not necessarily made in China.
Kite classification can be much more detailed. According to one source I came across, there are no less than 300 varieties of kites in China! This system takes into account groups such as human figures, fish, insects, birds, animals, written characters and so on.
There is a range of standard sizes too, ranging from extra large right down to miniature. The biggest take a team of men to fly, the smallest are just the size of the palm of your hand.
Ancient Chinese Kites in Action
History aside, Chinese kites these days are flown for very similar reasons to everywhere else in the world. Making Chinese kites and flying them can be recreation for the whole family. But there are a couple of extra dimensions too...
Traditionally, kite flying was believed to be good for people's health, and this view is still held by some. A bit like some Westerners regarding laughter as being beneficial, who hasn't read something about that at one time or another.
For a long time, most ancient Chinese kites have been flying works of art. Real art, as proven by the fact they could be found in many art collections around China. A good example was when the Yanhuang art museum in Beijing ran a kite exhibition.
The history of ancient Chinese kites is a very long one. Chinese kites have been made and flown all this time as a part of the national culture. According to historical records, this has spanned more than 2300 years. For the purpose of this article, 'ancient' means any kite constructed just like the original design, with the same materials and techniques.
Some of the traditional bamboo and silk hand-painted creations made today have hardly changed from those flown many hundreds of years ago. There is such a contrast between Chinese kites and those from the rest of the world!
Chinese kites are works of art, whether done by a master craftsman or a class of young children helped by their teacher. In both cases, the idea is to fly an artistic design on the end of a string. The traditional designs done by highly skilled craftsmen and artists have even been exhibited in museums, such is their artistic worth.
Traditional kite handicraft has flourished in three Chinese cities in particular. Tianjin, Beijing and Weifang are steeped in ancient Chinese kites history.
Types of Ancient Chinese Kites
It's interesting trying to classify these kites, since the Chinese themselves have come up with so many different ways to do this. Maybe that's not so surprising since it's a big country and they have had so long to do it. Perhaps the handiest broad classification for most purposes is the following list:
* Centipede (multiple flat sections stacked together plus a 'head')
* Rigid Winged (paper or silk tightly stretched over rigid spars)
* Soft Winged (flexible structures behind just one spar)
* Flat (just like the name says)
Spectacular Chinese dragon kites are an example of the centipede type. Other dragons are more like models of imaginary creatures, such as the modern 3D Dragon Kite. These are not necessarily made in China.
Kite classification can be much more detailed. According to one source I came across, there are no less than 300 varieties of kites in China! This system takes into account groups such as human figures, fish, insects, birds, animals, written characters and so on.
There is a range of standard sizes too, ranging from extra large right down to miniature. The biggest take a team of men to fly, the smallest are just the size of the palm of your hand.
Ancient Chinese Kites in Action
History aside, Chinese kites these days are flown for very similar reasons to everywhere else in the world. Making Chinese kites and flying them can be recreation for the whole family. But there are a couple of extra dimensions too...
Traditionally, kite flying was believed to be good for people's health, and this view is still held by some. A bit like some Westerners regarding laughter as being beneficial, who hasn't read something about that at one time or another.
For a long time, most ancient Chinese kites have been flying works of art. Real art, as proven by the fact they could be found in many art collections around China. A good example was when the Yanhuang art museum in Beijing ran a kite exhibition.
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