Go Fly a Kite
In the long history of warfare, nations have developed countless formidable and devastating ways of besting their enemies. You’d be surprised what everyday things, that we use today, were invented for military purposes. GPS, walkie-talkies, duct tape, digital cameras, the internet, and even the microwave. Yep, every time you find yourself at home reheating yesterday’s leftovers because you don’t feel like cooking, you can thank the US military.
There is, however, one Chinese-crafted military invention that surpasses them all. An ingenious tool of war that revolutionized military communication and intelligence operations forever. Nowadays, you can buy them in DIY kits for 5 bucks and they come in designs ranging from ladybugs to Hello Kitty… They’re kites. Those whimsical sky-riders that turn any windy day into an outdoor canvas were originally designed by the Chinese around 200 BC to spy on enemy armies and pass secret communications.
So, how did this beloved part of Chinese culture go from weapons of war to Charlie Brown’s favorite past time?
Origin
The earliest mention of kites in Chinese history is in texts from the 5th Century BC. Kites are referenced as wooden birds that were flown as a rescue signal during a siege of Nanjing—a large ancient city-state in Southern China that still exists today as China’s old capital.
Originally made from wood, these kites—also called muyuan—are documented throughout Chinese history as being used for military signaling and communication. There are even some reports of kites big enough to carry soldiers so they could get up high and spy on the enemy. Some stories even go as far as saying kites carried bowmen who would rain arrows down from above. The truth behind these more adventurous stories is up for debate, but still, imagine living in rural China in 300 BC, quietly tending to your rice paddy when a soldier comes screaming by overhead. That kind of puts a whole new meaning to the insult, “Oh, go fly a kite!”
By about 800 AD, kites took on a more peaceful mission, being decorated with pretty silks and papers, and flown for Chinese New Year celebrations—hopefully with no bow-wielding soldiers attached. Around this time period, they also started turning this instrument of war into musical creations—attaching bamboo pipes to kites so they would create sounds as flew in the wind. At this point, kites took on a new name—fengzheng: feng, meaning wind, and zheng, a type of stringed musical instrument.
Kites in Chinese Culture Today
Kites are still an important part of Chinese culture today. Beyond their appearance in Spring and New Year’s events, kite flying festivals are common throughout the country where kite makers and flyers alike get to proudly demonstrate their skill.
Certain superstitions exist with kites, as well. Letting a kite go while it’s flying is said to release you from bad luck and sickness. Meanwhile, if you’re ever in China and find an abandoned kite lying on the ground, don’t pick it up! It’ll bring the bad luck that was lost — upon you. If you want to enjoy a piece of Chinese culture, then make like Charlie Brown and go fly a kite!
