Taiwan’s kite masters: hanging on tight to preserve a memory

Kite flying was once a popular childhood pastime, but in the modern times, it has become a hobby relegated to kite festivals and tournaments. But for those who love it, there is nothing like it. The process of making a kite, getting it in flight, and maneuvering it with the wind is a thrill that can''t be experienced in a video game. Kite enthusiasts are teaching kids how to make kites, hoping more people will want to join in the fun. Today in our weekly special report, let''s go fly a kite -- and revisit a charming part of Taiwan''s collective memory.It’s Sunday on Taiwan’s north coast. A crowd has gathered at Laomei Beach in New Taipei’s Shimen District. Look up at the sky, and it’s an aerial show like no other.Kite enthusiasts from eight different countries have come to this international festival to set their treasured kites to the sky.Many of this year’s foreign participants were invited by 86-year-old Robert Yen.Robert YenKite enthusiastYou can get under that blue sky, those white clouds. You can take in fresh air, which is very good for your health. I fell in love with kiting several decades ago and I haven’t stopped flying them since. Making and flying kites was once a popular pastime for Taiwanese children. This was because kites cost little to make, and the materials could be easily found.Hou Shun-chengKite enthusiastWith just one cent, you could buy two sheets of paper. You cut one into a square and then turn the other into a strip that will be the kite’s tail. So with a single cent, you can buy two sheets of paper to make a kite.Hou was a teacher in Yunlin’s Kouhu Township for 40 years. Many still call him Headmaster Hou. Since retiring, he’s devoted himself fully to crafting artisanal kites. His 10-ping workshop is packed with over 100 of them.Hou Shun-chengKite enthusiastI want to take Taiwan’s unique kites and show them off in exhibitions. So when I make kite frames like the double cross, I use makino bamboo, Taiwanese makino bamboo. The kites I showcase aren’t made with fiberglass rods.Thirty years ago, the government had heavily promoted kiting as a folk activity, and many schools organized routine kite competitions. Hou said that back in the day, he had gotten into kites only because he had hoped to win a prize and get a promotion. He didn’t expect to fall in love with kites, too. Thirty years later, he’s gone from being a complete beginner to a kite master.We’re on a small country road near Hou’s home, where he’s getting ready to demonstrate his skills. One after another, 36 connected owl kites soar up to a height of 108 meters. This kite train is the result of a full month’s hard work.Hou Shun-chengKite enthusiastSometimes I feel old, but when these kites take off, I feel just like a child. At this year’s kite festival in Hsinchu, there was a moment with no draft and my dragon kite suddenly plunged. I got up and chased after it. Ah, that feeling when I was running! What speed! I felt so light on my feet.Hou pours time and energy into building kites, as well to passing on his craft to the next generation.Kite materials in hand, Hou arrives at Dinghu Elementary School in Yunlin’s Kouhu Township. Hou used to be the headmaster of this remote school. After retiring, he came back as to teach the school’s kite club.The kids get instruction one on one. The steps of kite-making are displayed on a poster. Hou provides all the supplies they need, bringing in odds and ends from his own home.The school’s tiny racetrack is where teachers and students hone their kite-flying skills. In groups of five or six, they put their DIY kites to the test.Chung Chih-chingDinghu Elementary School headmasterThese days you eat with your phone. You eat with your TV. You study with a computer. I think that getting distance from your devices can be healthy. Also, when children have to focus on the task at hand, they develop their ability to concentrate on a single thing at a time.Students at this remote school have plenty of space to play with their kites. Kids in the big city are not so lucky. Finding a safe and suitable place to fly kites can be quite challenging.Cheng Kai-yuanAsian Kite ForumAll of Taipei’s riverside parks are regulated. You can’t fly kites there. Last year – after our persistent lobbying – New Taipei gave us a rare win and allowed kite flying in three places. Usually, kite lines are about 45 meters long, but New Taipei restricts them to 30 meters or less.Over the past 15 years, Cheng Kai-yuan 鄭凱元has organized more than 30 kite events. He says his most important mission is to lobby for more kite-flying space.Cheng Kai-yuanAsian Kite ForumWe want adults to be able to look back on their childhood memories. We want children to have a place to make memories they can look back on.Taiwan’s kite culture refuses to disappear. Kite lovers hope these flying works of art will continue to animate the lives of gene...