Kites, a toy that has been played by the world for 2000 years, have been a part of Chinese people's childhood. Do you remember the colorful kites we flew in our childhood? The beautiful memories of childhood are always unforgettable. Do you remember the strange wishes we once silently made? The colorful dreams of youth are always exciting. In order to enrich the city connotation of "Zijin Flower City - Romantic Jinchang" and enhance the brand of Jinchang kites, in this springtime March, national professional kite flyers and domestic kite teams from Weifang, Shandong Province gather in China's nickel city and western flower city, inviting you to *** enjoy the joy of spring.
The birthplace of kites is Weifang, Shandong Province, which is also known as Weidu and Kite Capital. After more than two thousand years of experience, Weifang kites have formed a unique style both in the theme and style, as well as in the production technology, which can be said to be unique in the international kite industry. And Weifang kites have also become a unique symbol of historical extension. According to historical records, the earliest kite in China was the "wooden kite" made of wood by Mo Zhai during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, which took three years but only flew for one day. It took three years but flew for only one day. This proves that our ancestors had already had the idea and practice of making kites during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and the place where Mo Zhai tried to make the kites was in Lushan (present-day Weifang). Later, Lu Ban, a student of Mo Zhai, followed his idea and conception by cutting bamboo, splitting it, bending it into shape after being roasted by fire, and making it into the appearance of a magpie, which was called "Wooden Magpie". It flew in the air for three days. It was only after Cai Lun invented papermaking in the Eastern Han Dynasty that the paper kite was produced, with paper as the main material. At that time, kites were mainly used as military tools. The idiom of "Chu Ge on all sides" is related to kites. In the Battle of Gaixia, Xiang Yu's army was besieged by Liu Bang's army, Han Xin sent someone to make a kite out of cowhide with a bamboo flute on it, which was rung against the wind, and Han's army matched the sound of the flute with the song of Chu, which made Chu's army become disorganized, and the kite was used to ask for help to form the situation of Chu Ge on all sides. And kites really spread in the folk, become a kind of entertainment toys, but in the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of Qing Dynasty, Weifang had already seen folk artists specializing in kite making, which laid the foundation for the development and inheritance of Weifang kites.In 1984, with the support of Weifang Municipal People's Government, the first Weifang International Kite Festival was successfully held, which made Weifang kites go to the world by using kites as a lead line.In 2006, Weifang kite making techniques were listed in the list of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage, with the approval of the State Council. cultural heritage list. The position of Weifang kites in the cultural industrial park has reached an unprecedented level. Weifang kites have a long history and beautiful shape, known for their exquisite workmanship, fine painting, smooth flying and easy take-off, with a strong local life flavor and vivid atmosphere, and the zazhou system adopts the strengths of many families, especially in the modeling structure of the kite and the color of the paintings, transplanting the craft of making woodblock New Year's Paintings to the kites, and applying the traditional techniques of Chinese paintings to the kites' paintings, which are divided into the string category, the board category, the three-dimensional category, the soft wing, the hard wing and the free wing, and are also classified into the category of string, board, three-dimensional category, soft wing, hard wing, and free wing. The kites are divided into six series and more than sixty varieties, including string type, plate type, three-dimensional type, soft-winged, hard-winged and freestyle, which have become an important school of Chinese kites. The traditional Weifang kites are mainly made of bamboo as the skeleton and covered with paper or silk. Most of the kites are patterned with figures, animals, flowers and birds as well as auspicious words, integrating people's appreciation habits, expressing the meaning of good luck, celebration and blessing, and the subjects of creation are mostly taken from the accumulation of people's daily life as well as their psychological aspirations. The production process of kites is completed through the four arts of "tying, painting, gluing and flying". Weifang kites are mainly hand-painted in terms of color painting. Combined with the requirements of the theme, the kites are first sketched out on paper or silk, and the sketched lines should be smooth and natural, with even thickness, and the tracing should not leave any traces of the bottom line. After tracing the pattern, the kite will enter the process of color setting. When setting the color, the color tone should be bright, the contrast of the color blocks should be sharp, and the sense of hierarchy should be highlighted, so that a better visual effect can be achieved after the kite is flown. The kites made of silk material are high-grade products, all of which should be painted by hand, and the characters should be powdered, gills dotted, and phases wiped, etc., to enhance their artistry. Compared with the traditional kite painting process, modern kites are more infused with mechanical printing and assembling. This is a modern kite that combines dexterity, ornamental and entertainment with the pulse of the times.
The festival featured more than 300 kites in five categories: tube, board, hard wing, soft wing and string, as well as more than 300 informative kites, which comprehensively and objectively embodied the unique Weifang kites with a wide range of themes, beautiful shapes, fine paintings and colorful styles. Kite masters from Shandong Weifang Kite Association Qunyi Kite Production Center were also present at the event. Qunyi Kite Production Center is a strength kite team established under the guidance of Weifang Kite Association, whose members are mostly kite stars of the past, and are the backbone of the kite community in Weifang, which has held many large-scale kite exhibitions all over the country, and has been invited to participate in many large-scale kite flying performances. Since its establishment, it has made numerous brilliant achievements in Weifang kite flying competitions. Since the first World Kite Flying Championships, it has participated on behalf of the Chinese team for five consecutive years, winning gold and silver, with a remarkable record. Qunyi Kite Production Center's kite tying craft follows the tradition and heavy painting work. This time, for the development of kite culture in Jinchang, the Western Flower City, a series of large soft kites as well as easy-to-carry combination of giant traditional kites were produced, displaying excellent kite works with generous ideas, exaggerated shapes, contrasting colors, and focusing on flying performance.
In addition to the kites from Qunyi Kite Production Center, we also invited local kite masters from Jinchang. In Jinchang, the city of flowers, there are only a few folk kite artists who have inherited their heritage until now, and Mr. Huang Xingyu, now 81 years old, is a famous kite artist in Jinchang. Born in 1937, Mr. Huang is a retired cadre from Yongchang County, Gansu Province. He has been working in the cultural center for 15 years, and has been engaged in photography, fine arts, cultural relics census and protection, and has been committed to promoting the national culture of Yongchang. He has a wide range of hobbies, is cheerful and optimistic, and enjoys flying kites, raising fish, flowers, birds and photography in his spare time. In 1972, when Mr. Huang visited the Forbidden City in Beijing for the maintenance of Yongchang Bell and Drum Tower, he saw Cao Xueqin's Zayan kite in Tian'anmen Square, and then he took photos to study it carefully, and from then on, he was hooked on Cao's kite. "Cao's kite craft is a comprehensive art, which integrates the essence of folk culture and kite-making techniques from the north and south, and the process of making kites is as follows: tying, gluing, painting, and releasing, which integrates deep cultural connotation and national spirit, and is the crystallization of the production of the great popularity and the goodness of the kites. After Mr. Huang retired in 1997, he started to make his own "Cao's Kites". Mr. Huang's kites are made of bamboo as the skeleton, juan as the paste surface, and painted with Chinese painting pigment and ink brush, each of which is an exquisite work of art and can be successfully flown in the blue sky. The kites come in a wide variety of shapes, including eagles, peacocks, fish, bats, figures, butterflies, and various types of swallows. Among them, Mr. Huang's best kite is the swallow kite, which has a profound metaphor. Throughout the ages, swallows have always been the birds of spring in people's mind, with handsome appearance, flying lightly, cheerful and diligent, and are the messengers of spring. Mr. Huang's Swallow kites are classified as hard-winged or soft-winged, flat or three-dimensional in appearance, and brightly colored. They are of great ornamental and collectible value! Mr. Huang has a set of his own kite-making skills, and has some innovations in the production design of Cao's kites. His 30-year persistence in kite culture also makes us realize the "craftsmanship" of Jinchang people, and he hopes that this intangible cultural heritage can be inherited by more young people.
Kites, like many forms of folk art in China, arise from people's recreational activities, and are recreational objects that hold people's ideals and aspirations, and are closely related to people's lives. The shape of Weifang kites imitates the natural things, social life and the images in myths and legends, all of them are sent with "good luck" and "auspiciousness", interests and ideals. The colorful colors are people's desire for a better life. Kite flying is an easy-to-implement, low-cost fitness activity for young and old alike. In the sunny spring before and after running, so that the arm and leg muscles to get exercise, eyes to get relaxed, the blood also for the smooth.
At this moment, the kite is ready to be flown with your loved ones, and you can enjoy the fun of flying it in the early spring!
1. The giant three-dimensional kite "Dragon and Phoenix" is the gold medal work of Weifang Kite Competition and World Kite Championships, because of its huge size, unfolding about 40 square meters, requiring more than 5 people to fly, very shocking. The dragon and phoenix represent auspiciousness and good fortune in the traditional Chinese concept. On the kite, the dragon and the phoenix each occupy half of the space. The dragon is the ascending dragon, opening its mouth and spinning its body, looking back at the phoenix; the phoenix is the soaring phoenix, spreading its wings and cocking its tail, raising its eyes to see the dragon. Surrounded by clouds, a peaceful atmosphere.
2. Soft body dragon: the first prize of Weifang Kite Competition, a compound line manipulation kite, which is characterized by up and down, left and right hovering, vivid image, just like a real dragon roaming in the air. The moustache, teeth and claws of the dragon's head shape, in the vast blue sky of the reflection, majestic, imposing, is an irresistible force proudly soar in the sky.
3. Dragon head centipede: about 60 meters long, belongs to the representative works of Weifang kites. It is a representative work of Weifang kites with high requirements of rolling technique and flying technique. Once lifted up, it is like a flying centipede with a length of about 60 meters. It is a kite with high requirements of rolling technique and flying technique, once lifted up, it is like a flying centipede, with strong visual impact. As the people's good wishes of the dragon head shape and centipede pattern, almost the blessing, prayers and auspicious pictures portrayed to the fullest, "the dragon takes off in the air, a hundred sons to present good luck", so let the dragon head centipede kite, carrying the dream of the Lu Kite folk artists, about the city of flowers.
4. Soft body fish: the overall shape is exaggerated, but without losing the pictorial realism. Because it is a soft kite, it is suitable for the characteristics of the soft body of the fish. The kite is about 80 square meters, with good flying effect and highly ornamental. In the air, a wagging head and tail of the fish kite is the most eye-catching, flying in the wind, naive, in the sea of kites is very unique.
5. Colorful Fish: It belongs to the board class kites, about 15 square meters. The decorative picture represents the good wishes of the Chinese working people, symbolizing the meaning of "good fortune, wealth and peace, and abundant harvests". It is a beautiful cultural symbol and the most representative pattern of traditional Chinese auspicious prayers. The sky is azure sea, look up, colorful fish sometimes flying low, sometimes hovering, weaving in the waves of white clouds.6. Soft red string lights: a string of small red lanterns stretched out, each crystal clear, red attractive, looks very festive. The overall shape of the complete, strong colors, symbolizing a string of small red lanterns continue, each crystal bright, red attractive, looks very festive. The overall shape is complete, strong colors, meaning auspicious, giving people a beautiful visual enjoyment. Floating in the sky, and like a string of ice candy gourds, sweet and sour under the sun, tempting people on the ground.
7. Hanging kites: exaggerated cartoon shape originated from abroad, has a strong visual aesthetic, most children like. Hanging kites in the call of spring, with bright colors, clear outlines in the air to give full play to its charming charm. The child on the ground is innocent, year after year, the child will gradually grow up in the experience of flying dreams again and again, the young heart always belongs to flying. The kite flies higher and higher, taking them to see the world full of sunshine.
8. Ground Rolling Dragon: It is a newborn product of Weifang kite show competition in recent years, which is called Ground Rolling Dragon because of its bright color and its ability to rotate and roll in the wind. It is often used in festivals and celebrations to emphasize the atmosphere, and has a strong ornamental and entertaining character. We are in the country of the dragon, we are the descendants of the dragon, we have the faith of the dragon. Today, the ground rolling dragon wings to take flight, floating and sinking, stunning the nickel capital, towering body cohesion of countless people's efforts and wisdom, its boldness and temperament, is the style of our great country.
9. Long string kites: string up the "trumpet flower" and "penguin", the piece is connected to the infinite extension, the small wind can fly. Although it is not outstanding in the kite family, the endless length is marvelous. Long strings of kites such as flying thoughts without end, in the wind and cool blue sky drifting through, soft like water, dashing, riding on the kite festival spring wind as scheduled, for this hot land of Jinchang added a brilliant color.
10. Giant soft "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers": "Ten thousand purples and thousands of reds, a branch of spring, picking the immortal flowers to the mortal world, the national color and fragrance of the world is incomparable, a hundred charming thousands of beautiful paintings can not be. Who loves and cares for the flowers in the sky? It's better to scatter them to lovers." The heavenly maiden carries a basket of flowers in her hand, floating and traveling, coming to the earthly world and looking down, scattering flowers. The content of the genre is familiar, the picture effect is highly aesthetic, and the release effect is stable. The Heavenly Maiden scattering flowers is one of the traditional Chinese auspicious motifs, implying that spring is full of people, auspiciousness is always there, implicitly expressing a harmonious beauty, fully embodies the people's aspirations and blessings for the good things.
11. Soft "Journey to the West": the picture is taken from the Journey to the West of the Tang Monk and his disciples on their way to fetch the scriptures, which is a popular subject among the general public. Pure handmade painting will be the toughness of the Tang Monk, the Monkey King's wit, the smoothness of Piggy's eight precepts, and the honesty of the sand monk active in the kite, the kite breaks through the resistance of the western sky, and finally brings the four masters and disciples to the right place.
12. Soft Tiger Kite: The kite is a medium-large category, hand-painted. The picture is a mighty tiger with its head high and whistling, with excellent aerial effect. The feeling of "mighty tiger whistling in the sky, good luck and peace" is born at once. Flying in the sky can not only entertain the body and mind, but also have the feeling of flying dreams. This is also a specific embodiment of Weifang kite technology, hanging in the sky with the charm of the New Year's Eve paintings, flying in the air, it highlights the kite's charm.
13. Soft body lantern: the kite belongs to medium-sized soft body, the color is big red, very eye-catching. It is characterized by easy to fly and the best three winds to fly. The fabric used is the silk material of Zhejiang Province, the texture is clear and light, elegant and meticulous, and then after the artist's hand-painting, a realistic image of the interesting traditional lanterns will jump on the silk, and the achievement of rare art treasures - Palace lantern kites.
14. Three-dimensional "Magpie Bridge Meeting": the content of the picture is taken from the scene of the meeting of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month, which is a touching story, known to women and children. The kite is hand-painted and has participated in Weifang Kite Competition for many times and won many awards. The faithful love story of Cowherd and Weaving Maiden has attracted countless talented men and women to bend their backs. Nine clouds, love is fixed here, love is entwined here, the Milky Way rises here. The breeze is sent to the magpie bridge, may the world's lovers finally get married, and never be separated.
15. Cloverleaf: belongs to the soft-bodied class of kites, exaggerated modeling wit, easy to fly. Its new development and new design is definitely a fine work of folk art masters, from tying, gluing, to depicting on the color, every fold of the cloverleaf bug, every bend, every pen and every painting, are all masters of the art of the pen.
16. Giant three-dimensional kite "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" is about 40 square meters. Legendary Eight Immortals each law enforcement treasure, different demeanor, bright colors, as well as the raging waves, are using traditional brushwork techniques to express. It is the second generation of the work following the "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" in 2008. According to legend, the Eight Immortals returned from the Queen Mother's Peach Conference after a drunken farewell, passing through the East China Sea, but seeing the white waves, Lu Dongbin proposed that each of the Eight Immortals throw an object to cross the sea and swim eastward to express the ability of the Immortals. "Immortal mountains separated by the sea of clouds, Xia Ling jade belt even, the eight immortals across the sea to help the clouds on the ground mortals happy to get away." ?
Expulsion of work fatigue, forget the heavy burden of life, into the Flower City 28 area of this relaxed space, so that the body and mind with the sky kite stretch to their hearts' content, so that the time backward, so that the memory of the return to the turn, to find the feeling of childhood, to find the youthful rosy! "The swallows limp in March, Weifang kites fly all over the sky. The nickel city is as beautiful as Jiangnan, and the flower city is famous for lending paper kites." The first large-scale kite cultural festival in Jinchang 2017, let ten million kites fly in the sky of the Silk Road and the sea of flowers, let the vigor and health pass to every corner of the city of flowers! (Looking forward to your presence again!)
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