China is the hometown of kites. Making and flying kites is one of the Chinese ancient folk skills. Kites are also an important part of the Chinese culture.
Kites were invented by the Chinese during the Spring and Autumn Period, having a history of over 2, 000 years. It is said that Modi, an ancient Chinese thinker, made a wood bird after the work of three years. This might be the earliest kite in human history. Then Lu Ban made changes to the kite of Modi by using bamboos. Some folk custom experts told that ancestors invented kites mainly to memorize their family members and friends who have died. So on the Qingming Festival people would make and fly kites, hoping that their sadness could be passed to the dead through the kites. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, kites began to be used for the purpose of sending messages. Since the Sui— Tang Period, paper has been used to make kites because of the papermaking. In Song Dynasty, flying kites became a favorite outdoor sport of the people. According to researchers, kites were spread to Korea in the tenth century and then to Japan, and they were not spread to Europe until the thirteenth or fourteenth century.
Flying kites needs skills. The controlling string （绳） and the pulling force are decided by the size and the shape of the kites, the environment and the wind. Right wind often blows in spring, making it the perfect season for flying kites. If we want to play for fun, flying kites should avoid cloudy days and rainy days. Safety is also an important consideration. Flying kites should be done on an open ground and it is not wise to fly kites in dangerous places such as water side and tops of buildings.
