The Kite Festival originated in the Tang Dynasty in China, and many cities in China still have kite festivals. The following is the legend about the origin of the Kite Festival that I have compiled for you. You are welcome to read it.
The legend of the origin of the Kite Festival
The Kite Festival originated in China during the Tang Dynasty. Many cities in China still have kite festivals, and almost other Southeast Asian countries also have kite festivals. But perhaps due to thousands of years of changes, the kite festivals in these countries are no longer in the same season. If the kite festivals in these countries are combined, the festival lasts almost throughout the year.
Kites are called "paper kites" in northern China and "kites" in southern China. The name "Kite" probably began in the Five Dynasties (AD 907-960). According to the records of Lang Ying of the Ming Dynasty, "Xun Xiong Lu", there was a man named Li Ye in the Five Dynasties who made paper kites in the palace, leading the wind to make plays. A bamboo whistle is tied to the head. When it is flown, the wind blows into the bamboo whistle and makes a sound like a kite, hence the name "kite".
How was the kite invented? Some say that our ancestors were inspired by the wind blowing bamboo hats and leaves, some say that they were inspired by sails or tents, and some say that they were inspired by flying birds. There are different opinions. There is no consensus. But the earliest kites appeared in China, which is a unanimous opinion in the international kite community. When the famous ancient Chinese philosopher Mo Zhai (468-376 BC) lived in Mount Lu (today's southwest of Qingzhou, Weifang, Shandong), he once chopped wood into a harrier, which took three years to grow and flew in one day to defeat. This is the world's earliest kite, which is unique and has a history of more than 2,300 years. Later, Mo Zhai passed on the method of making wooden harriers to his student Gongshu Ban (also known as Lu Ban and Lu Ban). Gongshu Ban improved it and made a "bamboo magpie" out of bamboo, which could fly in the air for three days. Long. Gongshu Ban also made wooden kites to get a glimpse of Song Dynasty and used kites for military purposes. Early kites were also used to transmit distant news and measure wind power. According to lt;lt;Duyi Zhigt;gt; records, in the third year of the Taiqing Dynasty (AD 549), Emperor Wu of Liang was trapped in Taicheng near Nanjing by the rebel Hou Jing. Jian Nu offered a plan to make a paper kite and hide it in the imperial edict, which flew into the air. He sent a letter to seek reinforcements, but it was in vain because the kite was shot down by the enemy.
Kites as a tool for entertainment began around the Tang Dynasty. In 713 AD, Li Longji, the Xuanjun of the Tang Dynasty, watched the flying of kites of the "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" in the Yichun Courtyard of Penglai Palace in Shandong. The Xuanhe Kite Book of the Song Dynasty contains many records of the emperors and nobles playing kites. Due to the emergence of papermaking, kites were made of paper, which greatly reduced the cost and soon spread among the people. Since then, with international exchanges, kites have spread all over the world. The famous British scholar Joseph Needham listed kites as one of the major scientific inventions spread by the Chinese nation to Europe in his "History of Science and Technology in China". Just as a foreign kite expert said: The Chinese people invented the kite two thousand years ago, which is universally recognized. Kites aroused mankind's imagination of flying into the sky, leading to the invention of the world's first real airplane. ? With the progress of the times, the role of kites has also changed. In history, the purpose of kites has been changed many times. Its original function is said to be for military use. Many historical materials have mentioned: Han Xin, a general of the Han Dynasty, once flew a kite into the air. According to the length of the kite's flying line, To calculate the distance to Weiyang Palace. It has been recorded in history books that in 559 AD, Emperor Wenxuan of Qi ordered prisoners to ride kites and fly down from the eight-foot (about 26 meters high, today's remnant platform is 12 meters high) Golden Wind Tower. His death penalty can be pardoned. The imprisoned people were eager to survive, so they all took advantage of the paper owl to fly. As a result, a death row prisoner named Huangtou succeeded in gliding on a kite and floated safely to a place called Zimo outside the city. However, he was later arrested and starved to death in prison.
Most of the kites before the Tang Dynasty were relatively large in size and could be used for manned flights. Whether they were successful or not is another matter. It can only be speculated that the flying technology has matured.
"New Tang Book Tian Yue Biography" also records that in the second year of Tang Jianzhong (781 AD), Tang general Zhang Pi was trapped in Linming by the rebel Tian Yue's army. The situation was critical. Zhang Pi urgently used paper as a kite and wrote a letter. After being puzzled for three days, a famous scholar said that the kite was a hundred feet high in the sky and passed the Yue Camp. Tian Yue ordered someone who was good at shooting to shoot it, but he couldn't reach it. The letter for help was finally sent by the kite. Reinforcements were delivered and the siege was relieved. By the middle of the Tang Dynasty, it had entered a prosperous and stable stage of development. The function of kites began to shift from military use to entertainment. At the same time, due to the development of the paper industry, the materials for making kites also changed from silk to paper. Kites have become popular among the people, and there are more types of kites. The poet Yuan Zhen of the Mid-Tang Dynasty (AD 779-831) wrote in his poem "There are Birds and Paper Kites in Twenty Chapters": "There are birds, there are flocks of paper kites, and they are carried by the boy because of the wind." (For the full text, please refer to Kite Poetry Column). Some other poets also wrote poems about kites many times in Tang poetry. Through these documents, we can see that kites were more popular in the Song Dynasty. Huizong of the Song Dynasty was an enthusiastic advocate of kites. In addition to flying kites in the palace, he was also said to have compiled a book called "Xuanhe Kite Book". There have been great developments in making and decorating. At that time, kites had become a common toy for children. Children flying kites had become a scene in the countryside in spring. At the same time, due to the demand for kites in the society, kite making became a popular activity. A specialized profession. In addition, there was a profession of people who specialized in kite flying. At that time, many painters were also willing to use the theme of kite flying in their paintings. The paintings of Guo Zhongshu, a famous painter and writer in the Song Dynasty, were very popular. People welcomed it.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the development of kites reached its peak. Since it was not that far ago, there are many documents about kites in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The size, style, making technology, and decoration and flying skills have all made great progress. The decoration techniques of kites in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were also richer than in the past. Kites began to be organically combined with various folk crafts at that time. Workshops also use woodblock New Year pictures to print kite paper, and the decorative techniques and materials used by civilian papermakers have also diversified: stickers, paper sculpture reliefs, paper cutting, gold and silver tracing, adding paper flowers, etc. have also been developed in audio equipment. In addition to the sounding bows of the past, bamboo and reeds are attached to springs and tied to the backs of kites. Due to the wind, the sound is called "harrier whip". In the coastal areas, whistles are also made from gourds and ginkgo shells. The number and size vary. Mounted on a kite, the pronunciation is so powerful that it can be heard for miles around. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many writers and painters also used kites as themes to recite poems and paintings, leaving many masterpieces. The Ming Dynasty painter Xu Wei (AD 1521). -1593) painted many kite paintings and wrote many kite painting poems in his later years. According to later generations, there were more than 30 poems about kites in Yangjiabu and Yangliuqing paintings. At that time, many literati also used kite flying as the theme. In addition to flying the kites yourself, you can also give them to friends, which is considered a very elegant thing. Cao Xueqin, the writer and author of Dream of Red Mansions, is the most representative of this in his work "South Harrier and Northern Kite Examination". "Zhi" provides an extremely detailed introduction to kites. It is said that 43 kinds of kite-making techniques are introduced in this book.
In modern times, especially in the past two decades, my country's kite industry has evolved. Kite has developed rapidly. Kite has become popular as a sport and fitness and leisure activity, and kite competitions at home and abroad have promoted the popularity of kite activities. More and more people have begun to join the kite festival. Distribution of festivals
Weifang
Since the first Weifang International Kite Festival in 1984, the annual International Kite Festival has been held in mid-April every year. In 1988, the Fifth International Kite Fair designated Weifang as the "Kite Capital of the World". As of 2012, twenty-nine Kite Festivals have been successfully held, and it has also made outstanding contributions to Weifang's economic development.
The Weifang International Kite Festival is an annual international kite event, usually held in Weifang, the kite capital, from April 20th to 25th every year.
Since the first Weifang Kite Festival was held in 1984, it has attracted a large number of domestic and foreign kite experts, enthusiasts and tourists to watch, compete and visit. Tourists are advised to arrive in Weifang before April 20.
The Weifang International Kite Festival is not only a festival for exchanging kite skills, but also a good opportunity to learn about kite folk culture. The entire Weifang Kite Festival is accompanied by colorful traditional folk art activities. The traditional ethnic lantern exhibition is in various shapes and lifelike at night; the ethnic fireworks display scenes of historical dramas with their wonderful display skills, which is extremely exciting and admirable.
At the kite concert, the wonderful performances of famous stars in the art world were intoxicating. Weifang kites have a long history, are exquisitely crafted, graceful in shape, fly smoothly and are easy to take off. Yangjiabu Village, located 15 kilometers northeast of the city, is the hometown of kites. Yangjiabu kites are famous for their exquisite workmanship, fine drawing, and high and stable take-off. They are divided into six series, including string type, board type, three-dimensional type, soft wing, hard wing and free style, and more than 60 varieties. Yangjiabu woodblock New Year paintings are famous both at home and abroad, and are as famous as Yangliuqing in Tianjin and Taohuawu in Suzhou. Here you can see the kite and woodblock New Year painting workshops, which are typical folk architecture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. You can also see the entire process of artists carving New Year pictures and making kites. The masterpieces of domestic and foreign kites from previous Kite Festivals are on display at the Weifang Kite Museum, the largest professional museum in the world so far. They feature a wide range of themes, various patterns, exquisite craftsmanship, and different shapes, which are dazzling and dizzying, and you will never forget to leave.
The International Kite Federation was established at the 6th Kite Festival, with its headquarters in Weifang. At the same time, the Weifang International Kite Festival is a grand event combined with the development of export-oriented economy. During the period, the Weifang Foreign Economic, Technical and Trade Fair was held, attracting a large number of Chinese and foreign businessmen to negotiate trade, technical exchanges and sightseeing tours.
Wuhan
The 2014 Third Central China Mulan Grassland Kite Festival opened on April 12, 2014. This Kite Festival will gather kite masters from all over the country. This Kite Festival is jointly organized by Mulan Grassland Scenic Area and Hubei Kite Association. The size, variety and quantity of kites this time are the largest in Central China. During the month-long Kite Festival, tens of thousands of kites of various shapes will be available to visitors. By then, there will be a grand scene of tens of thousands of paper kites flying together on the Mulan Grassland, and tens of thousands of dreams flying together.
This kite festival not only has professional aerial kite performances, but also more than 20 groups of giant kites over 2 meters tall and thousands of kites from all over the country with different shapes and cultural colors, allowing tourists to While visiting, you can learn about my country’s kite culture and history.
Mulan Grassland, located in Huangpi District, Wuhan City, is the only AAAA-level Mongolian style scenic area in central China. It is located in Niejiagang, Wangjiahe Street, Huangpi District, Wuhan, east of Jingchu Famous Mountain? Mulan Mountain, and is one of the top ten leisure resorts in Hubei. Located in the south of Mulan Lake, it is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Mulan.
The scenic spot is 36 kilometers away from the center of Wuhan, and the nearest expressway exit is 12 kilometers away. The transportation is very convenient. The grassland in April is vast and green with lush mountain flowers. The scenic area is natural, quiet and peaceful. The reporter saw that as soon as tourists arrived at the scenic spot, they all filed in to take photos in front of the landmark gatehouse, and then walked freely on the grassland in front of the clear Egret Lake and the tranquil Mongolian tribe. There were also many tourists walking Enter the yurt to enjoy the distinctive ethnic song and dance performances and musical instrument performances.
Due to the special geographical environment of Mulan Grassland, April is particularly suitable for kite flying when the grass grows long and the orioles fly. ?Hold a thin string in your hand and watch the thousands of paper kites flying in the boundless sky, leisurely? It is reported that Mulan Grassland has successfully held the largest kite festival in Central China for two consecutive years, attracting many tourists to Wangjiahe in Huangpi District to watch the kite competition and appreciate Wuhan's grassland culture and Saibei customs.
Many professional kite masters from all over the country who have won awards in international and national kite competitions will gather in Mulan Grassland to bring you a visual feast! Among them, the majestic Chinese dragon, composed of ten The acrobatic female kite performance composed of beautiful women, flying in colorful pattern formation, brought the most shocking visual impact, allowing the audience to feel the artistic enjoyment of aerial ballet. There are also various comic kites drawn and made by the famous cartoonist Mr. Tian Hengyu, the world's smallest miniature asymmetrical kite, the Dream of Red Mansions kite series, etc. for you to feast your eyes on.
Yangjiang
Yangjiang is known as the "Paper Harrier City" and the "Hometown of Chinese Kites". Together with the "Kite Capital" Weifang, Shandong, it is also known as the two largest kite schools in the north and south. Since 1992, Yangjiang has held mass kite competitions at the Nanguo Kite Arena every year on the Double Ninth Festival, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.
Yangjiang kites have a history of more than 1,400 years. As early as the Song Dynasty, Yangjiang had the custom of flying kites on the Double Ninth Festival. It is said that there was a state official named Wang Gen at that time. He carved a "flowing cup pool" on a "cactus stone" in Beishan. Every Double Ninth Festival, he would invite celebrities from all walks of life to gather on the stone with a "winding water cup" on one side. , while flying kites to watch, the surrounding people also set up tents in the mountains to watch. "Yangjiang County Chronicles" records: On the ninth day of the lunar calendar, people go up together with wine to choose the winner, the scholars compose poems, and the children fly paper kites to compete with each other. ?In the Qing Dynasty, the scene became even more spectacular. Lin Baoying, a native of the Qing Dynasty, wrote in a poem: "In the North Mountain Col of the seventh level of the pagoda, there are thousands of jagged paper harriers." ?You can see the grand occasion at that time.
The kites in Yangjiang are of various varieties, exquisitely designed and elegant in style. Traditional kites are also called "angry kites". There are more than 10 kinds of kites, including centipede, lingzhi, cliff eagle, etc. They are lifelike and flutter in the wind. Among them, there is a kind of kite that can be blown up by the wind and positioned at a high altitude for anyone to watch. It is called a "rowing kite". The common shapes include flowers, birds, insects, fish, birds and animals, etc. There are more than 10 kinds of shapes. There is also a "moth kite" that can automatically light firecrackers in the air, just like an airplane launching rockets, which is more interesting. The large kite is 10 meters high, more than 3 meters in diameter, and weighs more than 20 kilograms. It requires more than a dozen people to pull it and ride on a force five or six wind to get it to the sky. The longest "Longli Kite" is 30 meters long. It is made up of 100 to 200 small bamboo circles covered with colored paper. Broom branches are inserted on both sides of the circle, which looks like a centipede. God is pretty. Among them, the Ganoderma lucidum kite was rated as one of the top ten kites in the world.
Chongqing
On April 4, 2015, the 2015 International Kite Flying Festival in Wulong, Chongqing opened, and the world’s longest kite was unveiled for a flying performance. According to reports, 13 teams from 13 countries including New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Austria, South Africa, the United States, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and China participated. Professionals held a live performance of the world's longest kite (6,000 meters), far exceeding the Guinness World Record of 5,000 meters. The kite is composed of 2,000 leaves printed with the "Chinese Dream", and it takes 6 to 8 hours to fly them all. The picture shows the opening of the International Kite Festival, with the world's longest kite flying with a length of 6,000 meters. [2] The significance of kite flying
Kite flying is a whole-body exercise with many benefits:
1. Relieve fatigue and strengthen the brain. When flying a kite, pay attention to the flying kite in the air without any distractions, run your legs and pull it with your hands, and look up into the distance to make people happy and eliminate anxiety;
2. Enhance physical fitness. By flying kites in the wild, you can bask in the sun and breathe fresh air. You can not only enjoy the beauty of nature, but also stretch your muscles and bones to promote blood circulation throughout the body, expand pores, relieve heat and dissipate depression. It can also increase lung capacity, absorb old things, promote metabolism, and maintain health. The body's endocrine balance and other functions;
3. Exercise various parts of the body. Flying a kite exercises the legs, arms, wrists, hands, waist, elbows and other parts of the body to dredge the meridians and reconcile qi and blood;
4. Improve vision. Flying a kite outdoors in the open air can adjust your vision and eliminate eye muscle fatigue.
Middle-aged and elderly people should pay attention to protecting their necks when flying kites. They should not tilt their heads and necks back for a long time. Instead, they should alternately tilt their heads and necks back and look straight up.
5. Cultivation of sentiments and purification of the soul. Looking up at the soaring kite can inspire people to work hard and be high-spirited.
Kite flying is also a brain-building exercise that requires full concentration. Just dealing with the relationship between flying a kite and wind direction and speed requires the flyer to think a lot: the necessary condition for a kite to fly is wind on the ground, but if the wind speed is too high, it will not be easy to fly because the horizontal force of the air will be too strong. , the kite is difficult to lift up and difficult to control; the most fearful thing about flying a kite is the uncertain wind direction, because the kite is most likely to fall down at this time. The ancients believed that the higher state of kite flying is: when flying, they hold each other and are connected by a thread. Before flying, it is like a horse lying in the trough. After flying, it is like entering a racecourse. You must be energetic and treat the string as a rein, just like a tamer. Like a horse, it then looks at the sky and becomes quiet, running back and forth as it drifts.