The Chinese have flown kites for at least 2,500 years. They were probably the first people to make kites, constructing them of wood, then silk and bamboo. After the invention of paper, it became the favored material. The earliest function of kites appears to have been military. Legend has it that Han Xin, a famous general (206-202 B.C.) flew a wooden kite and used the length of the string to determine his distance from the enemy's palace. Once knowing the distance a tunnel was dug and the palace then attacked. Around 549 A.D. a kite flown from a besieged castle signaled for reinforcements. Another flying device called 'the sacred fire crow' could carry explosives to attack an enemy.

Later, the kite came to be used more for pure enjoyment. Li Ye made a kite in the palace (10th century) and fixed bamboo pipes to the head so they would make a sound in the wind., like the zheng, a stringed instrument. Ever since then, the word for kite in Chinese has been fengzheng. Most kites of that time were made of silk painted with gorgeous designs and carrying ornate accessories. The costliness of the kites suggests that they were playthings exclusively for the royalty and aristocracy.

Around the 11th century, kites became a more popular and common amusement. Then it became a seasonal activity. The main kite flying season occurs from Chinese New Year (usually in January and February) through Qingming (usually in March or April) because of favorable winds. After that, kite flying is halted by the great clouds of yellow dust blown down from the deserts north of Beijing.

In the past, many popular superstitions were related to kite flying. One belief was that if the kite string broke and the kite drifted into someone¼s house, it was a bad omen and the kite would have to be destroyed to avert misfortune. If the kite fell into the courtyard of a neighboring house, the kite owner could attempt to reclaim it. The neighbor might reluctantly return it after punching two holes in the kite¼s surface to dispel bad luck.

People in North China also believed that during the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese calendar), every household must send the God of Wealth, who descended on New Year¼s Eve, back to heaven. Therefore, everyone from the poorest peasant to the richest prince went out at midday to fly kites. When night came, kites continued to fly, after people tethered the strings and went inside. At midnight, there would be more excitement as everybody would come out again to tie lanterns to the kite strings and set off firecrackers. After midnight, the God of Wealth was usually assumed to have returned to heaven and the celebrants would go home to sleep leaving the kites still flying. In the morning, the kites would have disappeared, leaving only some string behind. It was believed that the kite took trouble and disaster away with it.

The Chinese are experts at making kites. They make colorful kites in the shapes of dragons, birds, butterflies, and centipedes. Some animal-shaped kites are designed so they can roll their eyes and flutter their wings. Other kites are so big that they require four or five people to operate them.

The basic kite colors are red, yellow and blue. These colors were the main colors of the costumes of the emperor, of most women¼s clothes and even the embroidered shoes of children in the countryside.

In April there is a Kite Festival and everyone climbs a hill or finds an open area for flying kites and having fun. Join the fun and fly a kite! 

Kites date back to as far as 3000 years ago, where they were made from bambou and silk in China. In the 19th Century, kites were used for scientific experiments. And in the 20th and 21st centuries, kites were used for military purposes... 

China Use in Science Use in Transport World War Links 

Kites in Ancient China 

Kites have made their appearance over three thousand years ago, in China. All the right materials were found there, for it's making: Bambou for the frame, and silk for the sail and bridle. It had a mythical and religious dimension. Later it was experimented as a science instrument for various researches. From China, the kite was reproduced throughout Asia, then later, in Europe, and now, in the modern age, in America, Australia and other countries.

Kites and Science 

American diplomat and scientist Benjamin Franklin experimented with kites to investigate atmospheric electricity, and kite studies were also made by the American physicist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell. 

Beginning in the 1890's and continuing for about 40 years, box kites, consisting of two or more connected open-ended boxes, were used for sending meteorologic instruments aloft to measure wind velocity, temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity. 

Kites and the development of Transport 

On November 12, 1894, Lawrence Hargrave was lifted from the ground by a train of four of his "cellular kites". This was simply one stage in his quest for a stable lifting surface which could then be powered and used as a means of transportation. Hargrave was doing his utmost to invent the aeroplane! 

Hargrave developed several styles of kites and gliders, refined and developed the concept of curved surface wings, and also invented the rotary engine. He never patented any of his inventions, preferring them to be available for the advancement of mankind. He made scathing attacks on people who experimented in secrecy with the intention of profiting from their inventions, accusing them of trying to exploit humanity. 

On November 7 1903, Samuel Franklin Cody actually crossed the English Channel on a vessel towed by kites. 

Kites during War 

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, kites were used for lifting military observers to heights from which they could observe the disposition of enemy forces. 

During World War II (1939-1945), kites were also used as gunnery targets. 


French Military kites have long been popular with kitefliers. Their lifting power and stability make them ideal for high altitude flying.