(19 Apr 2024)
CHINA KITE MAKERS
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 7.41
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Weifang, Shandong Province, China – 19 April 2024
1. Various of Liu Zhangjiang and other kite makers displaying a kite that depicts Chinese philosopher Confucius
2. Kite maker looking at colleagues holding up kite UPSOUND (Mandarin) Liu Zhijiang, kite maker:
"The main body of this kite is five-metres wide and 20-metres long. We can fly seven pieces by linking them in one line and the length will be about 50 meters.”
3. Wide of kite being displayed
4. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Liu Zhijiang, kite maker:
"Through the over 40-year history of the Weifang Kite Festival, our traditional kites have become the largest in the world. Some of our large kites weigh hundreds of kilograms, and their lengths are several kilometres. We pool the efforts of all in Weifang Kite Festival and it demonstrates the achievement of teamwork, just like the "Chinese Space Station", we created and designed the year before last.”
5. Various of kite maker assembling a kite in the shape of a space station
6. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Liu Zhijiang, kite maker:
"Because there are many great painters emerging in Weifang they made the kites, not for selling as commodities, but for their own enjoyment, so they pursue the exquisiteness of the production."
7. Various of structure of a dragon head kite
8. Wide of a completed dragon head kite
9. Various of a kite maker drawing on a dragon head kite
10. Wide of Liu talking to a kite maker in his workshop
11. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Liu Zhijiang, kite maker:
"In the 1970s and 1980s, kites flourished as an entertainment activity and it became a major export commodity. By coincidence, it attracted the attention of foreign kite enthusiasts, so they came to visit Weifang. They saw the vividness of Weifang kites. The biggest feature of the Weifang kite is it’s lifelike."
12. Various of kites in Liu’s workshop
13. Kite maker Tan Xinbo making a kite
14. Various of workers making holes on nylon kites
15. Various of workers collecting material
16. Various of worker stitching kites
17. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Tan Xinbo, owner of a kite workshop:
"Originally, our products were made of paper or silk. They broke easily. Now we have improved them by using nylon fabric and parachute fabric. We also use more solid materials for kite lines so they are safer."
18. A drawing of kites
19. Various of workers cutting kite materials
20. Various of worker measuring kite strings
21. Various of worker stitching big kites
22. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Tan Xinbo, owner of a kite workshop:
"The European and American markets like stunt kites and revolution kites. The major types are four-line or double-line kites, and sport kites. If you look at Asia, like Malaysia and Indonesia, they like single-line kites. In Indonesia they still keep the tradition of making large kites with bamboos, which is not convenient. But they have very good traditional kite cultures, so has Malaysia. So we learn from and communicate with each other."
23. Various of tourists taking photos in Weifang World Kite Museum
STORYLINE:
LEADIN:
The city of Weifang in China’s Shandong Province is awash with colour as kite makers frantically sew and paint the finishing touches on their works of art.
They’re preparing for a spectacular festival which attracts tourists who come to visit the city which claims its the kite capital of the world.
STORYLINE:
Kite maker Liu Zhijiang is making a final check of his artworks to be debuted at Weifang Kite Festival this year.
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