The 40th Weifang International Kite Festival will take flight on April 15 in Weifang city, in East China's Shandong province, with a series of kite-flying competitions and thrilling activities planned.

The highlight of the event will be the kite-flying competition, with 400 kite-flying enthusiasts from 60 countries and regions in the world testing their skills and the creativity behind their kites.

Spectators will have the chance to witness some of the most resourceful and intricate kite designs from all over the globe.

In addition to the competition sites, there will be a kite flying experience area for visitors.

An online kite-flying competition will also kick off on April 15 and run for one month. It will collect kite-flying videos from all over the world and award gold, silver and bronze prizes according to the ratings of netizens.

The organizers will also prepare blind boxes of all kinds of Weifang's cultural and creative products and handicrafts and distribute 500 to 1,000 boxes per day to netizens from April 15.

Apart from kite flying, the festival also includes a range of other activities, including cultural performances, exhibitions, lantern fairs, concerts and food stalls serving local delicacies.

There will be a series of kite culture exhibitions, including an oil painting exhibition, an international teenage painting competition and a cultural and creative works exhibition.

Among a host of other things to be held during the festival will be a martial art culture festival, an international dancesport open championships, an international rural marathon and a short video competition themed on tours in Weifang with kites.

This year's kite festival also allows users to experience the virtual space of the metaverse version of the festival as a virtual identity.