Kites

Kites

　　“Kites,” also known as “paper hawks” or “paper kites,” are flown by many young people every year starting from the second day of the second lunar month, especially around the Qingming Festival.

Kites from Lianyungang are the most famous in the Haizhou area. Their materials are carefully selected—the outline of the kite is made from reeds and bamboo strips, tied together with fine hemp twine. The kite frame must be made from new bamboo strips, with two additional supports added horizontally and vertically to prevent them from breaking in the wind. The paper used to cover the kites is often thin yet tough, such as mao bian paper or white cotton paper. The kite string is hand-twisted from cotton rope or ramie.

There are a wide variety of kite designs, including the octagon, nested angles, little white fruit, flower butterfly, dragonfly, and centipede, each with its own unique style. There is also the eight-angle nine-layer forest kite, which stands three to four meters tall, with eight wind windows on top, fitted with wind chimes or whistles. It can soar up to 60 to 70 meters high, with sounds that carry for several kilometers.