"Our factory can make more than 200,000 kites per year," said Sun Yuemei, the head of Dashan kite-making factory.

She introduced that they are able to design the kites according to customers' individual requirements, such as adding customized illustrations or prints of famous children's cartoon characters.

The Weifang municipal government has made great efforts to seek new economic growth and push for the development of upstream and downstream enterprises of the industry.

Thanks to its kite production, Wang Jia village has been awarded as a provincial characteristic tourism village.

The local authority plans to integrate the village's tourism with the kite business, in the hope of building a recreational holiday zone where tourists can learn kite culture, admire kite-making techniques, fly kites and taste local food.

Amano Sonoko, a journalist from Japanese news agency Mainichi Shimbun, remarked that the huge industry serves to improve the welfare of those in rural communities and is an example of how such areas are able to develop.

Sun Yuemei (R), the head of the Dashan kite-making factory, gives reporters from Japan and South Korea a tour of her factory. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]