Many people hold at least one memory of a kite from their childhoods — be it a simple yet classic diamond or a colorful bird-shaped kind with vividly flapping wings.

在许多人童年的记忆中，总有那么一次与风筝的邂逅——或许是那简单经典的钻石风筝，或许是色彩斑斓的鸟形风筝，又或是那活泼生动、仿佛能拍打翅膀的风筝。

It could be a sunny spring day in a pastoral landscape with family members. As the wind picks up, the flyer runs as fast as they can, until the kite ascends high into the sky and dances in the air.

记得那是一个阳光明媚的春日，我们与家人一同在田园间放飞风筝。当风徐徐吹起，放飞者奋力奔跑，直至风筝高飞入云，在空中轻盈起舞。

The kite that Yang Hongwei, 58, from Yangjiabu village in Shandong province's Weifang, remembers, however, is slightly different. It was a gigantic dragon-headed centipede that stretched for 360 meters and took dozens of people to fly.

然而，对于58岁的山东省潍坊市杨家埠村村民杨红卫来说，她的风筝记忆却与众不同。那是一个长达360米的巨大龙头蜈蚣风筝，需要几十人齐心协力才能放飞。

That was at the third Weifang International Kite Festival in 1986. To celebrate their village's legacy of crafting kites, her grandfather, Yang Tongke, and uncle, Yang Qimin — both master kite-makers — boldly envisioned and created a model 10 times bigger than any they'd ever made.

那是1986年第三届潍坊国际风筝节上的盛景。为了庆祝他们村的风筝制作传统，她的祖父杨同科和叔叔杨启民——两位风筝制作大师——大胆创新，制作了一个比以往任何风筝都大10倍的模型。

Weifang is renowned as the "world capital of kites", and Yangjiabu village has long remained at the heart of local production. Yang Hongwei, who was born to a family of artisan kite-makers in the village, became a national-level representative inheritor of Weifang kite-making techniques this year.

潍坊，这座被誉为“世界风筝之都”的城市，杨家埠村更是当地风筝制作的中心。而出生于风筝世家的杨红卫，今年更是荣膺潍坊风筝制作技艺的国家级代表性传承人。

"Here in Weifang, we have a saying, 'there's nothing you can think of that can't fly'. We have the ideal wind conditions, and so many kite lovers, top-notch artisans and different kinds of handmade kites," she says.

“在潍坊，我们常说‘没有飞不起来的风筝’。这里有着得天独厚的风力条件，有着众多风筝爱好者，有着技艺精湛的工匠，更有着各式各样的手工风筝。”她自豪地说。

Yangjiabu is small enough to qualify as a village, yet is home to two national-level intangible cultural heritage items — kites and Yangjiabu New Year pictures, a type of traditional woodblock printing used to decorate people's homes during Spring Festival.

杨家埠虽是一个小村落，却拥有两项国家级非物质文化遗产——风筝和杨家埠年画。后者是一种传统的木版年画，用于春节期间装点人们的家居。

Both art forms emerged in Yangjiabu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and prospered in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

这两种艺术形式早在明代（1368-1644年）便在杨家埠生根发芽，并在清代（1644-1911年）达到鼎盛。

"Our kites' decorations draw inspiration from the New Year pictures, so each one carries its own story and auspicious connotations," Yang Hongwei says.

杨红卫坦言：“我们的风筝装饰灵感来源于年画，因此每只风筝都承载着独特的故事和吉祥的寓意。”

She brought a variety of representative Weifang kites to the recent 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer, France, including a dragon-headed centipede kite with images of 100 children, which are often depicted as the subjects of local New Year pictures.

在最近于法国Berck-sur-Mer举办的第37届国际风筝节上，她带来了多款具有代表性的潍坊风筝，其中一款龙头蜈蚣风筝上绘制了100个孩子的图案，这些孩子正是杨家埠年画中的常客。

The kite features a dragon head with a body and tail fashioned from around 50 discs, each of which is hand-painted with images of children, carrying wishes for longevity, wealth, prosperity and other blessings.

这条风筝的龙头、龙身和龙尾由约50个圆盘拼接而成，每个圆盘上都手绘着儿童的形象，寄托着对长寿、财富、繁荣等美好愿景的祈愿。

"Throughout history, kites have been close to people's daily lives and influenced by folk traditions," says Ma Zhiyao, a professor at Tianjin University who specializes in folklore and intangible cultural heritage. "They have not only become embedded in folk culture but also provided entertainment and physical activity. This heritage has been passed down, demonstrating the enduring vitality of Chinese civilization."

天津大学民俗与非物质文化遗产专业教授马知遥表示：“纵观历史，风筝与人们的日常生活紧密相连，深受民间传统的影响。它们不仅融入了民俗文化，还为人们提供了娱乐和体育活动的机会。这种遗产的传承，彰显了中华文明生生不息的活力。”

Kites' origins can be traced back to the late Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), with historical accounts attributing their invention to the philosopher Mozi, who spent three years crafting a wooden hawk, which is considered a prototype for today's kites.

风筝的起源可追溯至春秋末期（公元前770-476年），据史书记载，是哲学家墨子发明了风筝的雏形——一只经过三年制作的木制鹰。

Later, master carpenter and engineer Lu Ban made improvements by substituting wood with bamboo. Kites are considered one of the earliest forms of aircraft. Ancient books recorded their functions in aerial reconnaissance and transmitting military intelligence.

后来，木匠大师兼工程师鲁班对风筝进行了改进，用竹子替代了木材。风筝被认为是人类最早的飞行器之一，古代书籍中还记载了其在空中侦察和传递军事情报方面的应用。

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), inventor Cai Lun improved papermaking techniques, leading to the invention of "paper hawks", which resembled kites as we know them today.

东汉时期（25-220年），发明家蔡伦改进了造纸技术，创造了“纸鹰”，这便是我们今天所熟知的风筝。

"Kites' origins reveal the remarkable ability and creativity of ancient Chinese to imitate nature and explore its mysteries," Ma says. "They observed birds and thought of using wood and paper to make objects that could soar in the sky. They were driven by curiosity and a spirit of scientific exploration to understand and harness the power of wind."

“风筝的起源展现了古代中国人模仿自然、探索自然奥秘的卓越能力和创造力。”马知遥教授说，“他们观察鸟类，想到用木头和纸来制作能在天空中飞翔的物体。在好奇心和科学探索精神的驱使下，他们了解并利用了风的力量。”

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the relative stability and prosperity made paper more affordable, and kites truly became part of people's lives.

到了唐朝（618-907年），社会的相对稳定和繁荣使得纸张价格更为亲民，风筝真正融入了人们的日常生活。

As kite-making techniques became more refined, varieties adorned with imagery and that produced sound effects were developed. This period gradually also saw kite flying becoming a custom during festivals. Late Tang-era poet Luo Yin wrote a poem about kite flying on the Cold Food Festival, which then fell directly before the springtime Tomb Sweeping Day and was later merged with it.

随着风筝制作技术的不断精进，装饰着图案并能产生声音效果的风筝也应运而生。这一时期，放风筝逐渐成为一种节日习俗。晚唐诗人罗隐在寒食节（清明节前的一个节日，后与清明节合并）写下了描绘放风筝的诗篇。

The custom was popularized in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). By the Ming and Qing dynasties, significant progress was continuing in design, style, production, decoration and flying skills.

这一习俗在宋代（960-1279年）得到了广泛传播。到了明清时期，风筝在丝绸的选用、款式设计、制作工艺、装饰艺术以及飞行技巧等方面都取得了显著的进步。

"Many literati liked to make silk kites as gifts for their families and friends. They'd carefully select refined materials and then paint the silk cover by hand. These kites were exquisite and lasting," Ma says.

“许多文人墨客喜欢制作丝绸风筝，作为赠予亲友的佳品。”马知遥教授说，“他们会精心挑选上等的材料，然后亲手绘制丝绸封面。这些风筝不仅美观大方，而且经久耐用。”