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| Dragon Kite, a typical royal kite of Hue |
The shining of Southeast Asian kites
The 2023 International Kite Festival will be held from 3rd to 9th June, 2023 with many attractive activities such as kite flying art performances, kite displays and kite-making experiences. In particular, as emphasized by the organizers, there will be kite flying art programs in the afternoons from 4th to 8th June at Ngo Mon square and Thuan An beach.
These activities welcome the participation of international guest kite clubs from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand; together with domestic kite clubs such as Golden Kite Restaurant Club (Nam Dinh), Phoenix Art Kite Club and Huong Duong Kite Club (Ho Chi Minh City), with the host being a group of Hue kite artisans.
According to Hue Festival Center (the organizer), kite flying in Thailand is not only about seeing how high the kite can fly in the sky, but also an ancient sport with regulations, as well as a legacy that concerns everyone from the kings to commoners.
Skyline Kite Team is a kite club of Thailand with 20 active members throughout the country of the Golden Temple and will represent this country to participate in the 2023 International Kite Festival. With experience in using various types of kites: indoor flying (Zero Wind), single string kites, double string kites, quad string kites and sport kites, Skyline Kite Team promises to devote itself to the public and visitors at Hue through vivid, modern and spectacular performances.
The Malaysian Kite Association was established to promote the development, conservation and promotion of kite flying as a form of traditional art, entertainment and cultural heritage in Malaysia; as well as bring the traditional culture in general and the traditional kite of Malaysia in particular to the world.
Coming to the 2023 International Kite Festival, Malaysia's traditional kites will show their vibrant colors and sophisticated designs. The kites Wau Bulan - Moon kites, Wau Kucing - Cat kites, Wau Jala Budi, Wau Merak, etc., are made from bamboo and paper, with the frame being decorated with delicate carvings and painted outside. These kites will be displayed for visitors and residents of the Ancient Capital to enjoy.
Representing Singapore is the female artist Gadis Widiyati Riyadi with 30 years of experience in kite making, kite flying as well as organizing kite creation camps in many countries around the world. Widiyati has participated in international kite festivals in countries from Asia, Europe, Africa. And, coming to Vietnam this time, the Singaporean artisan will bring colorful kites with diverse styles, ranging from the modern to traditional ones to the Ancient Capital.
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| Kite festival being an opportunity for all types of kites to shine |
Upscale the festival
Mr. Huynh Tien Dat, Director of Hue Festival Center, said that the scale of the kite festival held within the framework of Hue Festival had only been a domestic kite convergence. Now, it is the first time this festival is organized on an international scale, with participating countries in ASEAN. The international guests are very famous for kite flying and have represented their countries to exchange with many other countries around the world.
The festival is an opportunity to attract visitors, creating a playground and a chance for those who love aerial art. It is an opportunity for local, domestic and international artisans to meet and exchange, gain experience, enhance expertise, introduce their country’s cultural identity, and learn about the cultures of other countries around the world.
According to Mr. Nguyen Dang Hoang, a meritorious artisan, there are many steps towards making a Hue kite. Each kite bears the mark of each artisan, and this is the secret to making one Hue kite different from another. Each kite made is an artwork, which is a combination of many factors such as experience, architecture, aerodynamics, painting, etc.
With their passion and talent, generations of Hue kite artisans have created a huge kite collection with thousands of different designs in the shape of birds and animals: dragon, unicorn, tortoise, phoenix, peacocks, butterflies, etc. Kite flying is a traditional art, which is constantly preserved and enriched by kite fliers, eventually being elevated into a cultural heritage.
“Countries participating in this kite festival will bring along the most typical traditional kites. Therefore, we will use royal kites and many other types of traditional kites to “accompany” them in the sky of the Ancient Capital. We wish to exchange the art of kite flying with them, thereby effectively preserving, promoting and widely spreading the art of kite flying in people's lives,” said Mr. Nguyen Dang Hoang, a meritorious artisan.
Kite making in Hue dates back to at least over 300 years ago. It was initially a simple pastime of children in the countryside, but was then gradually developed by adults who made the kite in a more complex shape. Finally, it was elevated into “air puppetry art” by the upper-class in Hue Citadel.
However, one big challenge today is to preserve the traditional kites, because kite flying is rarely chosen as a pastime when many other forms of entertainment are born.
According to Mr. Huynh Tien Dat, it is an opportunity for colorful kites to fly high in the blue sky every time the festival is held. The orientation of the province and the organizers is to continue to expand the scale, turning the kite festival into an annual activity where many types of kites from around the world meet, thereby preserving and promoting the art of kite flying in a more effective manner.