Kites fill the sky at the 37th Weifang International Kite Festival in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, in April 2020. [Photo by Zhang Chi]

Kite flying is a traditional custom in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, in springtime. This city is believed to be the birthplace of kites and rose to fame thanks to the Weifang International Kite Festival. In 1984, the first Weifang International Kite Festival was held, attracting 18 teams from 11 countries and regions, including the U.S., Japan, the Netherlands, Australia, the U.K. and Germany.

On April 1, 1988, during the fifth Weifang International Kite Festival, representatives of kite associations from 13 countries and regions convened to unanimously recognize Weifang as the kite capital of the world.