Everything that can be painted can reach the sky: Weifang World Kite Museum

Kite, known as 'paper kite' in northern China and 'hawk' in southern China, is one of the traditional Chinese folk handicrafts. The term 'kite' probably began in the Five Dynasties period. Chen Yi of the Ming Dynasty recorded in 'Inquiry into the Records·Kite': 'Li Ye of the Five Dynasties made paper kites in the palace, playing with the wind by pulling the line. Later, he made a flute with bamboo at the head of the kite, so that the wind entered the bamboo, like a zither, hence the name kite'. The Weifang World Kite Museum is a landmark building of the 'Kite Capital', aimed at collecting and displaying kite treasures and related materials from ancient and modern times at home and abroad. It is the first large-scale kite museum in China, with a building area of 8100 square meters. The roof of the museum is laid out according to the shape of the dragon head centipede kite, with exaggerated slopes, rising and falling, unique style, and the reflection of the peacock blue glazed tile surface, from a distance, it looks like a dragon flying in the blue sky. At the entrance of the museum stands a sculpture of Lu Ban. According to folk tales, he split bamboo, smoothed it and bent it with fire based on Mozi's design ideas, and made the kite as we know it today, and is considered the ancestor of today's kites. As soon as you enter the exhibition hall, you will feel a different response. You can see many large kites on display here, with dragons and phoenixes, the four beauties, the eight immortals crossing the sea... The traditional Chinese folk art images can all be expressed through the form of kites, and the materials can be said to be very extensive. The museum's traditional kites can be divided into five major categories according to their shape and structure: string, board, soft wing, three-dimensional (barrel). The museum has seven exhibition halls and a multi-purpose hall, with detailed kite materials, photos, texts, paintings, replicas, etc., fully displaying the history, modern, international and extended culture of kites, fully reflecting the unique artistic charm of the splendid culture of the Chinese nation, and becoming an art exchange center for spreading and promoting kite culture.