Known as the birthplace of kites， Weifang in Shandong Province has a long history of making kites.

According to local artisans， Weifang kite-making can be traced back to 2，000 years ago. At first， they were often used by the military for measuring distance and communication purposes. During the Ming Dynasty （1368—1644）， kites started to be popular among ordinary people as entertainment.

Made from bamboo and featuring traditional Chinese paintings， Weifang kite-making was included in the national-level intangible cultural heritage lists in 2006. Initiated in 1984， the International Kite Festival has been held in Weifang every year.

Yang Hongwei， 56， is an inheritor of the Weifang kite-making technique. Born into a kite-making family， Yang often saw kites with bright colors and different shapes in her grandfathers workshop.

“Every time I see these beautiful kites， my boredom and negative feelings go away，” said Yang.

Having a special connection with kites， Yang learned the technique from her grandfather at the age of 16. After practicing the technique for 10 years， she started her own workshop in 1992.

作為風(fēng)箏的發(fā)源地，山東省濰坊市有著悠久的風(fēng)箏制作歷史。

根據(jù)當(dāng)?shù)仫L(fēng)箏傳承人的說法，濰坊風(fēng)箏的制作歷史可以追溯到2000年前。起初，風(fēng)箏常由軍方用于測量距離和通信等目的。在明朝（1368—1644），放風(fēng)箏開始作為一種娛樂方式，在普通百姓中流行起來。

濰坊風(fēng)箏以竹子為原料，以中國畫為特色。2006年，濰坊風(fēng)箏被列入國家級非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)名錄。國際風(fēng)箏節(jié)創(chuàng)辦于1984年，每年都在濰坊舉辦。

56歲的楊紅衛(wèi)是濰坊風(fēng)箏技藝傳承人。楊紅衛(wèi)出生在一個風(fēng)箏世家，在祖父的作坊里，她經(jīng)?？吹缴术r艷、形狀各異的風(fēng)箏。

楊紅衛(wèi)說：“每當(dāng)我看到這些美麗的風(fēng)箏，就不覺得無聊了，負(fù)面情緒也消失了。”

楊紅衛(wèi)和風(fēng)箏有著特殊的淵源，16歲時，她從祖父那里學(xué)會風(fēng)箏制作技藝。經(jīng)過10年的創(chuàng)作實(shí)踐，楊紅衛(wèi)于1992年成立了自己的作坊。

“Many places around the world have a tradition of flying kites，” Yang said. “But I think the cultural context behind our kites is unique.”

On Yangs kites， people can see not only common patterns like butterflies and swallows， but also some prints telling Chinese myths， legends and history. For example， she once made a kite showing a phoenix head lined with portraits of 50 famous women in Chinese history on each side.

Though the idea was cool， the process was not easy.

Yang said that each woman has different characteristics in look， attire and make-up style. To create their portraits， she spent much effort and time checking historical records or discussing the details with professionals.

“Its time-consuming，” Yang added， “but when I explain the stories on the kites to foreign customers， I feel a sense of great achievement.”

In her spare time， she also travels to different countries including Germany， Australia， the US and New Zealand to tell people about Chinese stories seen on kites and the traditional ways of making kites.

“Im an inheritor of the culture. It is also an important job of mine to spread the heritage around the world and onto the next generation，” she said.

“世界上很多地方都有放風(fēng)箏的傳統(tǒng)?！睏罴t衛(wèi)說，“但我認(rèn)為我們風(fēng)箏背后的文化背景是獨(dú)一無二的?！?/p>

在楊紅衛(wèi)的風(fēng)箏上，人們不僅可以看到蝴蝶和燕子等常見的圖案，還可以看到講述中國神話、傳說和歷史的圖案。例如，楊紅衛(wèi)曾經(jīng)制作過一個繪有鳳凰頭的風(fēng)箏，兩邊分別畫著中國歷史上50位著名女性的肖像。

雖然這個創(chuàng)意很酷，但制作過程并不容易。

楊紅衛(wèi)說，每位女性在外表、服裝和妝容風(fēng)格上都各具特色。為了創(chuàng)作她們的肖像，楊紅衛(wèi)花費(fèi)了大量的精力和時間，去查閱歷史記錄或與專業(yè)人士討論細(xì)節(jié)。

“這非常耗費(fèi)時間?！睏罴t衛(wèi)補(bǔ)充說，“但我向外國客人解釋風(fēng)箏上的故事時，有一種很強(qiáng)的成就感?！?/p>

在業(yè)余時間，楊紅衛(wèi)也去往包括德國、澳大利亞、美國和新西蘭等不同的國家，她會給人們講述風(fēng)箏上所繪的中國故事，教授制作風(fēng)箏的傳統(tǒng)方法。

“我是濰坊風(fēng)箏技藝的傳承人，我的一項重要工作就是將這項文化遺產(chǎn)傳播到世界各地，傳遞給下一代?！彼f。

Word Bank

artisan /'ɑ?t?'z?n/ n. 工匠;手藝人

initiate /?'n??ie?t/ v. 發(fā)起;開始

They wanted to initiate a discussion on environment.

inheritor /?n'her?t?/ n. 繼承者

attire /?'ta??/ n. 服裝;衣服