How was kite invented? Some people say that our ancestors were inspired by the wind blowing hats and leaves, others by sails or tents, and others by birds. Opinions vary. But the earliest kite appeared in China, which is the unanimous opinion of the international kite community. Mo Zhai (468-376 BC), a famous philosopher in ancient China, lived in Lushan Mountain (now southwest of Qingzhou, Weifang, Shandong Province) and once said, "It takes three years to build a stork, but not a day." . This is the earliest kite in the world, with a history of more than 2300 years. Later, Mo Zhai passed on the method of making wooden harrier to his students' open class (also known as Luban, Luban). The open class was improved, and bamboo was made into a "bamboo magpie", which could fly in the air for three days. The public transport class once made wooden kites to meet Song Cheng and used them in the military. Early kites were also used to convey information and measure wind power. According to < < unique ambition > > According to records, in the third year of the Taiqing Dynasty (AD 549), Liang Wudi was trapped in Taicheng near Nanjing by the rebel Hou Jing. Jane put forward the plan of hiding a paper kite in the middle and sent a letter in the air for reinforcements, but the kite was shot down by the enemy but failed.
Kite, as an entertainment tool, began in the Tang Dynasty. In 7 13 AD, Li Longji in Tang Dynasty watched the flying across the sea in Yichun Courtyard of Penglai Palace. ; & gt There are many records of emperors and nobles enjoying kites. Due to the appearance of papermaking, kites were changed into paper paste, which greatly reduced the cost and quickly spread to the people. Since then, with international exchanges, kites have spread all over the world. Joseph Needham, a famous British scholar, wrote:> Kite is listed as one of the major scientific inventions spread to Europe by the Chinese nation. As a foreign kite expert said, "It is universally acknowledged that the people of China invented kites two thousand years ago. Kites make humans fly into the sky, thus inventing the world's first real plane. " With the progress of the times, the role of kites has also changed. The use of kites has changed many times in history. It is said that its original function was military. As mentioned in many historical materials, Han Xin, commander-in-chief of the Han Dynasty, once flew kites into the air, and the distance to Weiyang Palace was calculated according to the flying line length of kites. It has been recorded in the history books that in 559 AD, Wen Qi Xuan Di ordered the prisoners to fly down from the 8-foot-high Goldwind Platform (about 26 meters high, today's disabled platform is 12 meters) with kites. People who can fly out of the city can be forgiven if they die. The prisoners are eager to survive. "Everyone takes a paper owl to fly." As a result, a death row prisoner named Huang Tou successfully glided on a kite and floated safely to a place called Mozi outside the city, but was later arrested and starved to death in prison (see Biography of the Nineteenth Anniversary of Northern History).
According to this legend, it can be speculated that kites before the Tang Dynasty were mostly large kites, which could be used for manned flight. Success is another matter, and we can only speculate that the technology of flying is mature. "The Biography of Tian Yue in the New Tang Dynasty" still remembers that in the second year of Tang Jianzhong (AD 78 1 year), Zhang Pi, the general of Tang Dynasty, was besieged by Tian Yue's army in Lin Ming, and the situation was critical. Zhang Pi "is anxious to take paper as the kite as the wind", and his book says "I don't understand for three days, but I am happy to eat near celebrities". After the kite is released, it will "fly high over the Yue Ying camp" and enter a stage of prosperity and stability in the middle Tang Dynasty, and the function of the kite began to shift from military use to entertainment. At the same time, due to the development of the paper industry, the materials for making kites began to use paper instead of silk. Kites are going to the people, and there are more and more kinds of kites. Yuan Zhen (AD 779-83 1 year), a poet in the middle Tang Dynasty, wrote in the poem "There are birds and kites in Chapter 20": "There are birds in the flock, the wind is false, and the boy is pulling" (see the column of kite poems for details). Other poets have also written poems about kites many times in Tang poetry. Through these documents, we can see the kite activities in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
In the Song Dynasty, kites spread more widely. Song Huizong is an ardent supporter of kites. In addition to flying kites in the palace, it is said that he also presided over the compilation of a book, Xuanhe Kite Manual. With the participation of literati, pictographic kites have made great progress in binding and decoration. At that time, kites had become a common toy for children. Flying kites for children has become a scenery in the suburbs in spring. At the same time, due to the social demand for kites, making kites has become a special profession. In addition, there is a professional who specializes in flying kites. At that time, many painters were also willing to bring the theme of flying kites into their paintings. The paintings of Guo Zhongshu, a famous painter and writer in the Song Dynasty, are very popular with people.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the development of kites reached its peak. Because the age is not too far away, there are many documents about kites. Kites in Ming and Qing dynasties have made great progress in size, style, tying technology and decoration flying technology. The decorative techniques of kites in Ming and Qing dynasties are also richer than in the past. Kites and various folk crafts began to be organically combined. At that time, the New Year pictures workshop also used woodblock New Year pictures to print kite paper, and the decorative techniques and materials used by folk paper-tying artists were also diversified: stickers, paper-plastic reliefs, paper-cuts, gold and silver paintings, paper flowers and so on. Audio equipment has also developed. In addition to the ringing bow in the past, "the bamboo reed is attached to the back of the kite, which is called' kite whip' because of the strong wind." In coastal areas, whistles made of gourd and ginkgo shells are installed on kites of different numbers and sizes, and their sounds are rich and can be heard for miles in Fiona Fang. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many writers and painters also took kites as their theme. They painted poems and left many excellent works. Xu Wei (A.D. 152 1- 1593), a painter in the Ming Dynasty, painted many kite paintings in his later years and wrote many poems about kite painting. According to the statistics of later generations, there are more than 30 kites. There are also kites in Yangjiabu and Yangliuqing New Year pictures. At that time, many literati also hand-painted kites, and besides flying them themselves, they also gave them to friends, which was considered extremely elegant. Among them, Cao Xueqin, the writer and author of A Dream of Red Mansions, is the most representative. He gave a very detailed introduction to kites in the book "The Kite of North and South". It is said that this book introduces 43 kite-making techniques.
In modern times, especially in the last twenty years, the kite industry in China has made great progress. Kite has been popularized as a sport and fitness and leisure activity, and kite competitions at home and abroad have promoted the popularization of kites. More and more people began to join this activity. It has a long history and exquisite craftsmanship. In Qing Dynasty, Yangliuqing's New Year picture "Ten Beautiful Kites Flying Kites" can prove that there are ten kinds of kites, such as string lanterns, flying eagles, Tang Priest's scriptures and butterflies.
Wei Yuantai, the late kite artist, made great contributions to the kite-making technology in Tianjin. He has been engaged in kite making for more than 70 years. He has developed flat-shot kites, circular three-dimensional kites, soft-winged kites and also created folding-winged kites. It is rich in national characteristics in coloring, and absorbs the blooming method and cold and warm contrast tone used in ancient architecture painting, which is more suitable for high-altitude flight. His work won the gold medal of Panama World Expo 19 14, which won honor for Tianjin Kite.
Tianjin kites, represented by "Kite Wei", are lifelike in shape, elegant in color and fine in craftsmanship. The surface of the Zheng is mostly made of silk, which is both light and strong. The skeleton is made of bamboo, with fine texture, long section and great elasticity. The materials are very elegant, the shape is beautiful, and the painting is exquisite. It is pleasing to the eye and can be viewed indoors. It is a treasure of folk crafts. Legend has it that it has a history of more than 300 years. The Qing Dynasty's "Jing Di Sui Sheng" records that at that time, men and women in the city "each carried a kite", and after sweeping the grave in Qingming, they cast a grand victory. Shen Taidi, a close friend, said in "Collecting Wind in Spring": "Swallows are commonly used, one to two feet long, tied with bamboo, made into a swallow style, papered, painted blue and green, with three strings pressed in the middle. The biggest one carries the organ or Taiping gongs and drums around, with the thread tied in the wind and the red light tied at night. The children are chasing after each other, releasing the accumulated heat in their hearts. More than three feet, with different patterns, such as Nezha, Liu Hai, Haha Sansheng, two-person play, centipede, catfish, butterfly, dragonfly, Sanyang Kaitai, and seven magpies climbing branches. The strangest thing is the eagle-carving style, where a string flies in the air and looks realistic from a distance. " There are five basic forms of Beijing kites: hard wings, soft wings, rows, long ropes and barrels.