Art and science, up in the air

"The biggest difference with my kites is they can move. Many parts of them are mobile and driven by wind, making kite-flying more interesting," said Zhang Tianwei, the first person in China to invent dynamic kites by applying mechanical transmission to kite-making.

Starting in 1987, the 79-year-old has made 40 to 50 dynamic kites in various styles including a dancing crane, a walking crab and a jumping frog, each of which takes three months or longer to make.

A dynamic kite named "The bronze chariot and horse figurines", his representative work, weighs two kilograms, with a pulling force of 30 kilograms in the air.

Zhao Yimeng contributed to this story.