Kites can dance! Twenty-one kites flying high in the sky change their positions to form different patterns at the International Kite Festival, which is being held in Weifang, Shandong province.

Each kite－2 meters long and just under a meter wide－is controlled with four strings by one person. Twenty-one people change their steps and deftly tug the strings, leading the kites to form 14 patterns, including one composed of the numbers 1921 and 2021.

"The patterns formed by the kites carry our wishes celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China," says Sun Litai, head of a kite team from Hebei province.

"It takes an average of two years to master basic skills such as flying the kites in choreographed way that ensures the strings don't get tangled," adds Sun, noting that one of his team members has spent 13 years practicing the skill.

Sun's team consists of 30 members, with the oldest being 72 years old and the youngest 29.

"Flying kites is a good way to keep a person in good physical condition. The retired members practice three to four hours a day as long as the weather allows," he says.

Sun's team is one of 118 teams from across the country flying kites at the festival, which is scheduled to end on May 5.

Initiated in 1984, the annual event has become known around the world.

Because of the pandemic, overseas teams showed off their kites via video at the opening ceremony. In the videos, the overseas teams are seen flying their kites and expressing their hopes to meet at next year's festival.

The annual event in Weifang has become an international festival on a grand scale that brings happiness to children and adults alike, says Taejun Eom, mayor of Icheon, South Korea, in a video message.

"Weifang has successfully developed the kite industry, inserting kite-related culture into resources that are promoting the city's overall development," he says.

The city is known as the "birthplace of kites" in China.

"The international kite festival has narrowed the distance between Weifang and the world," says Tian Qingying, Party secretary of Weifang, at the opening ceremony.

"With nearly 40 years of development, the event has become an international cultural and sports event and also an important platform to promote international exchanges and cooperation."

Weifang now has more than 300 kite-making enterprises, generating 2 billion yuan ($305 million) worth of kites every year. Kites produced in the city are sold to over 40 countries and regions.

"The number of our kites sold overseas increased by 30 percent last year, as many people chose to fly kites to keep themselves in good health," says Wang Yongxun, general manager of the Tiancheng Feiyuan Kite in Yangjiabu village.

"This year, we created a 172-meter-long kite in the shape of a dragon. It consists of two parts: A 100-meter part carries our wishes for the 100th anniversary of the Party's founding, and a 72-meter part, celebrating the founding of New China (in 1949)."

Kites have provided a way to enrich rural life. Over 60,000 people in rural Weifang are employed in the kite industry in areas such as painting and design, as well as in the production of strings and wheels, according to statistics provided by the city government.

In Wangjia Zhuangzi village, which has over 4,500 people, half of the population makes kites. More than 80 enterprises are involved in the kite industry in the village. They make over 80 million kites every year, generating a total revenue of 280 million yuan.

Zhang Zhengxun, born in the 1990s, returned to his hometown to help his father run a kite business after working in another city for years.

Zhang set up an online sales outlet for his family enterprise.

"The number of kites sold online accounts for 30 percent of our total production," he says.

Wang in Yangjiabu says the potential to expand the global market for kites is big, because people around the world are paying more attention to their health.

The kite-making industry has become a major driver of Weifang's development, as seen in this workshop in Yangjiabu village. CHINA DAILY

This year's International Kite Festival draws a big crowd of enthusiasts and tourists to Weifang in Shandong province. ZHAO RUIXUE/CHINA DAILY

This year's International Kite Festival draws a big crowd of enthusiasts and tourists to Weifang in Shandong province. ZHAO RUIXUE/CHINA DAILY