Enjoy a festival of kites at Taoranting Park

The weather is warmer, the blossom is out and so are the kites. In Taoranting Park in Xicheng district a kite culture festival has kicked off, which is not just about flying kites, but also marveling over their various forms and making your own. At the festival, which started on March 30 and runs till May 3, around 2,000 kites are on display, and experts are on hand to help.

The kites come in different shapes and sizes, with some fascinating images on them. Many deck the pathways, while others are scattered on the grass or neighboring the lake for people to enjoy and take photos of. There are also traditional dragon kites here, which are about 200 meters long.

At the center of the festival is a two-storey exhibition hall, where approximately 200 kites of eight different varieties are on display.

"Some of the kites are made by kite craftsmen, who came here from Weifang in Shandong Province, an area famous for kite production," explained Lan Xue, an employee of the park.

We spoke to 25-year-old Liu Ping from Weifang, who has five years of kite making experience, but is still a junior in the field. "There are a few areas that specialize in making kites nationwide and Weifang is one of them," he said, explaining that kite making is a versatile skill, since it requires making a kite that is both practical and beautiful.

Of the different types on display, the mini kites are as small as a match box. "There are also plate-type kites, for instance, in a flat shape like a plate, and 3D kites," Lan said. "To fly either of these two types of kites is difficult, since they do not catch as much wind and so you need to find an area with good air circulation."

Lan also told us that the most expensive kites here are the plate ones with the Eight Immortals from the Chinese legend of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. If you look closely at their delicate painting, you can tell that these kites are pricey.

Then there are more modern and Western-style kites on display, which are popular amongst youngsters who fly kites competitively.

Many kite experts at the festival are there to show you how to make kites by hand on the spot, which is certainly a highlight of the event. As a result, the DIY rooms are full of visitors trying their hand at making a kite.

Sixty-eight-year-old Yang Minjie, a longtime fan of kites, is one such person. After he saw the kites on display and met the experts here, he was no longer satisfied to simply fly kites made by others. "I now want to make my own kites, since it will be more meaningful," he said.

He struggled though to curve the bamboo structures, which is the first step of kite making apart from draft drawing.

"The bamboo needs to soften enough to be reshaped by putting it under a flame. It either ended up burnt or not hot enough," Yang said. "So I had to get advice and help from the experts," he explained.

Address: Taoranting Park, 19 Taiping Jie, Xicheng district

Opening Hours: 9 am - 4:30 pm

Admission: 10 yuan