The earliest Chinese kites were made of wood and called wooden kite (muyuan).  They dated as far back as the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.)  After the invention of paper, kites began to be made of this new material call paper kite (zhiyuan).

In the Tang dynasty (618-907), people began to fix on kites some bamboo strips which would vibrate and ring in the breeze like a stringed instrument (zheng).  This would bring the kite high to the air.  Since then, the popular Chinese name for the kite has become fengzheng (wind zheng). Certain enthusiasts enjoy flying kites during the night.  They hang small colored lanterns on the line with candles burning inside, which go up high in the air to decorate the night sky with strings of glimmering lights, adding much to the fun.

Chinese kites fall into two major categories: those with detachable wings and those with fixed wings.  The detachable wings can be taken apart and packed in boxes.  The fixed wings are fixed and non-detachable frames; they fly higher and better. 

To make a kite, first, the right kind of bamboo strips must be selected for the frame.  It should be thick and strong for a kite of large dimensions in order to stand the wind pressure.  Second, the regular paper or sometime silk is used to cover the frame.  Silk kites, especially, are more durable and generally of higher artistic value.  Third, painting the kite may be done in either ways.  For mass-produced kites, pre-printed paper is used to cover the frames.  Custom-make kites are painted manually after covering. 

Many of the designs bear messages of good luck.

The well-known Weifancg Kite festival has become an annual feature in the country, drawing hundreds of participants each April form home and many foreign countries.

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