15. It is known that Weifang kite-making goes back to 2,000 years ago. Kites have been popular among people for fun since 1368. Made from bamboo and beautified with traditional Chinese paintings, Weifang kite﹣making was popular over the world. The International Kite Festival has been held in Weifang each year since 1984.
Yang Hongwei, 56, is an inheritor (传承人) of the Weifang kite-making skill. Born into a kite-making family, Yang often saw kites with bright colors and different shapes in her grandfather' workshop. "Every time I see these beautiful kites, my bad feelings go away," said Yang. Yang learned the skill from her grandfather at the age of 16, After practicing the skill for 10 years, she started her own shop in 1992.
"Many places around the world have a tradition of flying kites. They have similar shapes, colors and shops of kites." Yang said. "But I think the culture behind our kites is special." On Yang's kites, people can see not only common shapes like animals, but also some prints telling Chinese stories, fairy tales (神话) and history.
In her free time, she travels to different countries to tell people stories of Chinese kites and the traditional ways they are made,"It is an important job of mine to spread our traditional culture around the world." she said.