12 Culture special Wednesday, July 29, 2015 CHINA DAILY Kite­making helps city soar

By ZHANG ZHAO [email protected]

In Weifang, Shandong province, kites are not just toys. They symbolize both cul­ ture and an industry for the city. A visitor photographs a giant mural at the 2015 Chinese Painting Widely known as the world Festival in Weifang. JU CHUANJIANG / CHINA DAILY capital of kites, Weifang has a history of flying kites dating back about 2,400 years. Legends say that ancient Weifang invests in Chinese philosopher Mozi made the first kite in the world in the Lushan Moun­ tain area, which now belongs rich cultural heritage to Weifang. It is said that the kite, made of wood, took him By ZHANG ZHAO three years to finish but then [email protected] fell and broke on the first day 2,000 it flew. The hometown of many of art galleries Others believe that the true China’s leading artists and cul­ in Weifang inventor of kites was Mozi’s tural scholars including Mo contemporary Lu Ban, a Yan, the country’s first winner famous craftsman and engi­ of the Nobel Prize in Litera­ county, the 1.3­square­kilome­ neer who has long been ture, Weifang is a recognized ter Songcheng area opened a regarded as the patron saint city of culture whose govern­ painting and antique market of Chinese builders and car­ ment has been making efforts in 2012, which has become a penters. His kite, made of to improve local cultural and popular tourism site. wood and bamboo in the tourism facilities and services. The area not only boasts shape of a magpie, flew three In the past century,local art­ buildingsandroadsbuiltinthe days before it fell, according A man flies a dragon­head centipede kite in a kite contest in Weifang, Shandong province, in April. ZHANG CHI / FOR CHINA DAILY ists developed a unique school style of the Song Dynasty (960­ to an ancient book. of calligraphy and painting, 1279), a reminder of its most A statue of Lu stands in whose works can be found in prosperous period, but show­ front of the gate of the Wei­ some of the 2,000 galleries cases about 100 performers fang World Kite Museum, the across the city. Today, Weifang demonstrating Chinese intan­ largest kite museum in the is one of the most important gible cultural heritage items. world. painting markets in the “We invited the masters to With a total floor area of nation. come out of their homes to 8,100 square meters, the More than 1,000 painting show their skills at the site, not museum has a design that exhibitions are held in the city only to attract more tourists, resembles the dragon­head every year. The annual Chi­ but also to promote the herita­ centipede kite, the most nese Painting Festival, one of ges by letting more people see famous Weifang kite pattern. the most influential, attracted them and know them,” said The roof is made of blue more than 10,000 artworks Gao Lingyun, publicity chief glazed tiles with a ceramic last year, with trade volume for Qingzhou. dragon in the ridge, and the valued at nearly 1 billion yuan Qingzhou Museum is Chi­ walls are covered in white ($161.1 million). na’s only top­level museum mosaic patterns. A project in the Shihuyuan housed in a county, and wel­ Built in 1987, the museum Various kites are shown at the 2015 Weifang International Kite Workers at a kite factory in Wangjiazhuangzi area. area in the city center is one of comes about 300,000 visitors has more than 1,000 kites in Festival in April. JU CHUANJIANG / CHINA DAILY ZHANG ZHAO / CHINA DAILY the newest cultural attractions each year. its collection, most of which in Weifang. Covering nearly 10 One of its most valuable col­ have been flown. They repre­ Sun Yuemei, 39 years old, hectares, the project has some lections is an exam paper sent different schools of kite­ The museum is a window through opened her own kite factory buildings that date back more belonging to Zhao Bingzhong, making in both China and which we showcase the kite $32.2 10 years ago after being a than 200 years, while newly who in 1598 won the title of overseas regions such as the million worker at another factory for added constructions have zhuangyuan, an honor given United States, Japan, South culture from across the world.” two years. been built in the style of the to the scholar who achieved Korea and Southeast Asia. annual revenue from kite Her factory hires 50 work­ same period. the highest score at the high­ One of the largest kites in Li Naigang industry in Weifang’s ers, all local farmers, in its The complex combines art est level of the Chinese imperi­ Wangjiazhuangzi area the museum is about 140 vice­director of the Weifang World Kite Museum busy season, which lasts from exhibitions and trade, tradi­ al examinations. meters long and features 108 November through May, and tional displays and shopping It is the only original exam portraits connected by a about 30 workers the rest of facilities. It will house food paper of a zhuangyuan pre­ string, which are based on the Festival. He then spent more took three years to finish, ing four villages, was honored the year. vendors, handicraft stalls and served on the Chinese main­ characters in the Chinese than a year studying the tech­ while regular­sized blocks as the Chinese modern kite It produces a maximum of souvenir shops when complet­ land, on which Zhao wrote his classic novel Outlaws of the niques himself. require about five days. industry base by the Interna­ 10,000 kites a day during the ed by Oct 1, although part of it suggestions for the emperor Marsh. The kite was first Hesaidthemuseumattracts Another master, Yang Jun­ tional Kite Union this year. It busy season, Sun said. is already open. on how to improve the man­ flown in 1985. about 100,000 visitors a year. you, has 50 years of experi­ has a total population of 4,650 “The busy season of kite A traditional­style stage agement of officials and the The smallest exhibits are “The museum is a window ence in printing. He said the people, about 2,200 of whom manufacturing happens to be stands behind the Wenchang country. no more than 5 cm long and through which we showcase technique he uses is the same are involved in kite and kite the offseason on the farm,” Pavilion, a 22­meter­tall land­ The museum also has about visitors must use magnifying the kite culture from across as that used 600 years ago, component manufacturing she said. markinthearea,whereartper­ 4,000 items from the Xiang­ glasses to see them clearly. the world,”he said. except for the paint, which is a businesses. Sun said the factory earned formances have been shown shan tomb from the Han These miniatures use the In Yangjiabu village, north­ modern chemical product. There are more than 80 kite revenue of 2 billion yuan for every evening since May 22. Dynasty (206 BC­AD 220), of same materials, techniques east of the Weifang city cen­ Although many people in factories in the area with the 12­month’s ending this About 50 cultural activities which about 2,000 are on dis­ and patterns as the full­size ter, kites were originally the village can make New annual production capacity May, increasing from 1.5 mil­ have been held in the area over play. models. byproducts of local wood­ Year’s prints now, not all of 80 million kites and reve­ lion yuan a year earlier. the past two months, includ­ The tomb was discovered by In addition to displays of block New Year’s prints, a make a living from it. Yan said nue of 200 million yuan “People are increasingly ing international painting accident during a construc­ kites, the museum has histori­ national intangible cultural he has had about 30 students, ($32.2 million). interested in outdoor sports,” exhibitions, with all open to tion project in 2006. The relics cal documents, models and heritage item that dates back but only two of them have “Many local people can she said. “Flying kites com­ tourists free of charge. discovered were dug out from videos depicting the history some 600 years. become masters. make kites in the traditional bines Chinese traditional Du Gang, manager of the an accessory pit, which means and culture of kites. In the beginning, substan­ The village produces about way, but the handmade kites handicraft and outdoor sport area, said the local govern­ there could be even more trea­ Even without wind, Li Nai­ dard prints were made into 21 million New Year’s prints a require much time and the trends that are popular in the ment spent 1.4 billion yuan on sures still buried in the main gang, vice­director of the kites for children, and later, year, many of them sold to profit is low,” said Yuan Yan, West.” the project, although the total tomb chamber, said a guide at museum, can fly a kite the bright colors and exagger­ more than 100 countries and chief of the community. “So She added that the designs rent for business facilities in the museum. indoors. He does this per­ ated figures of the prints regions overseas. 20 years ago, we started of her kites are mostly tradi­ the area is only expected to Other tourist attractions in formance with a specially became popular features of In contrast to Yangjiabu industrial kite manufactur­ tional themes, such as gold­ meet half that investment. Weifang include Yishan made kite in the museum local kites. kites that focus on craftsman­ ing.” fish and swallows, to avoid “The government has never mountain in Linqu county, a during his spare time. Yan Kechen has carved ship, kites made in the Wang­ Yuan said an industry chain copyright disputes. wished to cover its investment national 5A­level tourism area He said he first saw indoor woodblocks for more than 40 jiazhuangzi area highlight has been formed in the area, The factory also makes cus­ with rent, because its true aim with a Taoist background, and kite­flying in 2007 by an over­ years and now demonstrates practicality and industrializa­ with local companies special­ tomized kites and blank kites is to let the people enjoy the the archaeological sites and seas team at the annual Wei­ the skill at Yangjiabu Folk Art tion. izing in different parts of the so customers can add their benefit of culture,”Du said. museums for dinosaurs in fang International Kite Park. He said his largest work The community, compris­ kites. own designs. In Weifang’s Qingzhou Zhucheng county.

Zhucheng: Where dinosaurs roamed

By ZHANG ZHAO been three excavation pro­ of the Y. rex, or Yutyrannus covered fossils of the genus in [email protected] jects, the latest of which was huali, the world’s only found Zhucheng. They named them conducted in 2008, when a tyrannosaur with feathers. Sinoceratops zhuchengensis. While millions of people museum for the Tyrannosaur­ The Y. rex was about 9 Wang said the Chinese cera­ worldwide were stunned by us, commonly known as T. rex, meters long and weighed 1.4 topsid dinosaurs were ances­ the dinosaurs created in the was built on a site where metric tons. Its sharp teeth tors of their North American Hollywood blockbuster Juras­ archaeologists found fossils of and claws made it a nightmare counterparts. sic World, fewer know of the the Zhuchengtyrannus mag­ for its contemporary dino­ “Some of them traveled real world of the prehistoric nus, Asia’s largest and China’s saurs, Yan said. from Asia to North America, giants in Zhucheng county in only tyrannosaur species. The fossil, discovered in Lia­ as the two continents were Weifang, Shandong province. Part of the original excava­ oning province, is seen as evi­ once connected,”he said. Dinosaur fossils have been tion site is exposed to visitors dence that birds evolved from Near the Zhucheng Dino­ found at more than 30 sites in with some 2,000 pieces of fos­ dinosaurs. saur Cubic is the world’s larg­ Zhucheng, covering a total of sils that belong to four dino­ In another museum, the est dinosaur fossil site, where 1,600 square kilometers, when saurs, including a Zhucheng Dinosaur Cubic, 48 more than 10,000 fossils have the total area of the county is tyrannosaur. restored dinosaur skeletons been found in diggings 500­m only about 2,200 sq km. Yan Tuanxiang, chief of the are displayed, in addition to long and 26­m deep. Dinosaur fossils were first museum, said both carnivo­ pictures, models and videos. Based on this, the local gov­ discovered in the region in rous and herbivorous dino­ The most valuable exhibits ernment is planning a new The Zhucheng Dinosaur Cubic houses 48 restored dinosaur skeletons. JU CHUANJIANG / CHINA DAILY 1964. When prospectors from saurs had been identified at include some ceratopsid dino­ tourism area that will include the former Ministry of Geolo­ the site, which means there saur skeletons, said Wang exhibitions and interactive gy were looking for oil, they could have been a hunt taking Kebai, director of the Zhu­ displays. The project will take site is not yet open to tourists. model skeleton installation. of the Jurassic Park movie discovered fossilized dinosaur place before all were killed by cheng Dinosaur Culture about 10 years to complete, Dinosaur attractions in the “The dinosaur relics are series. remains later identified as a sudden mudslide. Research Center. Wang said. area welcome 500,000 visitors resources owned by all of “These breathtaking dino­ being from a Shantungosau­ Compared with T. rex, The ceratopsid dinosaurs The 2008 excavation also a year, mostly children. Activi­ humankind,”said the director. saur sites will give him inspi­ rus giganteus, the largest non­ which usually draws the spot­ were believed to exist only in found more than 11,000 dino­ ties are sometimes organized, He added that the govern­ ration, and maybe the next sauropod dinosaur yet found. light in movies, the real super­ North America until 2008, saur footprints that date back such as simulated fossil exca­ ment plans to cooperate with episode of the story will hap­ Following that there have star in the museum is a fossil when Chinese scientists dis­ some 100 million years. The vations, dinosaur drawing and Steven Spielberg, producer pen in Zhucheng,”Wang said.