(Spring Festival grassroots) From kite tying to passing on culture: Langfang's "kite girl" makes the kite "fly" higher
Langfang, China, January 17 (Song Mintao Wang Yangyang) On the 17th, the morning light was faintly white, and the "kite courtyard" in Tishri Village, Anci District, Langfang City, Hebei Province, was busy. The sound of "hissing" splitting bamboo, the sound of "squeaking" sawing bamboo chips came from the studio, and Zhao Yanfang, the owner of the small courtyard, was concentrating on making kites.
"This is a key step in the making of a traditional swiftlet kite." Several bamboo strips were flipped in Zhao Yanfang's hands, and a kite skeleton with its wings spread out was placed on the table. In the studio of tens of square meters, traditional sand swallow kites such as fat swallow, thin swallow, and wing swallow are placed, and the table is full of exquisite handicraft ornaments.
Tishri is the birthplace, inheritance and production of Chinese court kites, and has a history of more than 500 years of kites. Zhao Yanfang, a "post-90s" girl, grew up in a strong kite culture and opened a "kite courtyard" in 2017.
The picture shows Zhao Yanfang carefully painting a traditional kite. Photo by Zheng Chenzi
At first, Zhao Yanfang attracted people to the courtyard to experience the tie-making, painting, mounting and assembly of traditional kites through self-media publicity. There were more experiencers, and Zhao Yanfang's troubles also followed. "The space is limited, the project is single, and the kite culture is not displayed in place. Thanks to the opportunity given to me by the government and the Women's Federation to go out to learn 'recharge' many times, the idea was opened, and a new idea of extending the kite industry chain with the help of the Internet was born. ”
Touch the needs, send knowledge, send skills... The precise care of a series of policies has made Zhao Yanfang have no worries. She decorated the idle rooms in her home into kite painting studios, exhibition rooms and book houses, and made handicrafts such as hairpins and brooches, integrating the cultural characteristics and auspicious meanings of kites into them to explore the cultural value of kites.
Zhao Yanfang counted the stories of kites with the support of the government and other departments: "Intangible Cultural Heritage" kite research into the campus; held a handmade kite solo exhibition; went to Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao and other places to observe and learn, using Internet technology to help kites "fly"; groping to open a network live broadcast, spread kite culture...
The picture shows Zhao Yanfang making a traditional kite skeleton. Photo by Zheng Chenzi
"In the past, only traditional kites were sold, and the product was single. Now, there are more kinds, the ways are alive, and they are more stable. Zhao Yanfang said with a smile that the "Kite Courtyard" has been operating for more than 4 years, and the production of traditional kites and kite derivatives is particularly popular.
From simple kite selling to cultural inheritance + experience, new thinking, new model, let the traditional kite industry start a new way. In 2021, the kite processing plant and "kite courtyard" managed by Zhao Yanfang operated well, driving more than 30 processing households to increase their income, and the products were sold at home and abroad.
Zhao Yanfang said that the "kite courtyard" is the place where she dreams of taking off, and she hopes to let Chinese kites "fly" farther and spread more widely in the future. (End)
Source: China News Network