0084 - International Kite-Flying Festival Held In Shandong. Kites of differ...Front

International Kite-Flying Festival Held In Shandong. Kites of different shapes and colors from 10 countries and Hongkong dotted the blue sky over Weifang in Shandong Province during a three-day international kite-flying festival between April 1 and 3. 15 kite-flying teams from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany and Hongkong as well as two teams of Weifang participated in the festival. China is the home of kites. Kite flying has a history of 2,500 years in China. It is a popular activity for the Chinese people. Weifang is one of the four major kite producers in the country (the other three being Beijing, Tianjin and Nantong of Jiangsu Province). Its products are objects of art and fine handicrafts. When you are not flying them, kites are ornamental articles. Weifang boasts more than 300 varieties of kites. The most famous ones take the shape of the centipede with a dragon's head, the butterfly, the eagle and the phoenix.