OLYMPICS /
Cultural Olympics
China Story at the Olympic Village
Chinaculture.org
Updated: 2008-08-19 14:31
Kites
Ha Yiqi, the fourth-generation successor of Beijing Ha Kite
Kites were invented by the Chinese people over 2000 years ago. The art of Chinese kites has developed endlessly alongside the long history of the nation's cultural traditions. Various art systems and genres have formed over time. Generally, there are six kinds: Beijing kite, Weifang kite, Tianjin kite, Nantong kite, Jiangnan kite, and Taiwan kite.
The characteristics of Beijing kites include delicate frameworks, precise colored drawings, naturalness and gracefulness, and a high worthiness of being viewed and admired. Typical Beijing kites are Cao, Jin, and Ha kites, with new types of Beijing kites having come forth in a great number in recent years.
Ha Yiqi, the fourth-generation successor of Beijing Ha Kite, and Kong Bingzhang, the third-generation successor Cao Kite, are at the Olympic Village to produce Beijing-styled kites on the spot.
More folk artists are here to demonstrate their skills such as Zhang Junxian and Zhang Baolin who are good at making dough sculptures with vivid facial expressions; Jin Jiahong uses needles and threads to work out Hangzhou embroidery featuring with artistic fascination; Gu Haohua’s tiger-head shoes are one of the best gifts for children to drive away evil spirits and Chen Haili’s Farmer Painting impresses people with audacious visuals.