On March 23, 2025, the College of International Education organized a cultural immersion event centered on intangible cultural heritage, inviting international students to experience cultural exchange through hands-on learning. This special journey took place in Weifang, the world’s kite capital, where participants explored the rich legacy of traditional kite-making.
At the center of the Weifang World Kite Museum, a magnificent centipede kite with a dragon's head—known as the "Chinese Dragon"—was suspended from the ceiling, grand and majestic, like a mythical creature ready to soar into the sky.
The first gallery showcased a giant phoenix kite, highlighting the long history of Chinese kite culture. The second gallery introduced different schools of kite-making, including flat, soft-wing, and other styles. The third gallery featured exquisite kites from across the globe. The fourth gallery traced Weifang’s origins as the "kite capital" and presented the masterfully crafted “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” kite. For many students, this was their first time truly experiencing the cultural significance of kite-making, and how it has become a vibrant bridge for global cultural exchange.
Students were also fortunate to learn from Master Xu Yang, a city-level representative inheritor of a national intangible cultural heritage item. Under his instruction, students studied the traditional techniques of kite-making. Master Xu provided a detailed explanation of the key processes and methods involved, and with his guidance, students built kite frames and created their own kites—each reflecting personal cultural expression.
