The 36th Weifang International Kite Festival kicked off in Weifang, East China's Shandong province, on April 20, and will last until May 3.

More than 800 kite enthusiasts from over 60 countries and regions including the United States, France, Brazil and Poland gathered in the "World Kite Capital".

At the opening ceremony, Sun Jiye, vice governor of Shandong province, said that Shandong is a powerful province in its economy, culture and population in the east coast of China. It is one of China's regions with the greatest development potential and vitality and one of the most favored regions for domestic and foreign investors.

He stated that Weifang is known as the "World Kite Capital" and the place where the International Kite Federation is headquartered. Every year, the Weifang International Kite Festival attracts many kite enthusiasts from home and abroad to exchange culture and friendship. It has become a bright business card for Weifang, Shandong and even China. It has played an important role in carrying forward kite culture, promoting national fitness, expanding opening up and promoting economic cooperation.

Weifang is the birthplace of Chinese kite culture. More than 2,400 years ago, Lu Ban, an outstanding engineer and craftsman, made the world's first kite, the beginning of kites' flight through history and their gradual evolution into a national fitness campaign under the background of "healthy China".

In 1988, Weifang was identified as the "World Kite Capital" by the World Kite Federation.

Hui Xin'an, secretary of the Weifang municipal Party committee, said that the new era has given the kite festival more new connotations. The theme of this year's festival is "embracing the world, sharing the blue sky and flying the dream", which highlights the spiritual core of openness, cooperation, green and win-win and corresponds to the development trends of the world.

"Weifang is accelerating the conversion of new and old growth drivers, promoting rural revitalization and building a new highland for opening up. The kite festival has set up a platform for opening up and cooperation, built a bridge for friendship and become a beautiful business card for Weifang to go to the world," said Hui.

After 35 years of development, the kite festival has become a unique international cultural and sports event, an important carrier for promoting international exchanges and a core platform for demonstrating urban civilization. It was named one of the “Top 10 Chinese Festival Brands in the 40 Years of Reform and Opening up".

Guilherme Linares, a kite enthusiast from Brazil, came to Weifang for the fourth time to participate in the festival. This year, he combined his image with the kite.

"Flying a kite is like flying your dream," Linares said. "The weather here is very suitable for flying today. Here you can meet many kite makers and flyers from all over the world. It is very interesting to exchange experience with them."

This time he will stay in Weifang for five days and enjoy the fun of flying kites, and his dream.

The 36th Weifang International Kite Festival kicks off in Weifang, East China's Shandong province, on April 20, and will last until May 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Kite enthusiasts fly their kites at the opening ceremony of the 36th Weifang International Kite Festival in Weifang, East China's Shandong province, April 20, 2019. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A foreign kite enthusiast gives an interview to a journalist. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]