Giant kites in the shape of nurses, rockets and boats were flying high in the sky carrying people's wishes of health, happiness and peace at the International Kite Festival in Weifang, East China's Shandong province.

Since 1984, the festival has been held annually in Weifang in April. Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival kicked off on Saturday and will run till Oct 8 this year.

"Medical workers worked hard at the frontline in the war against COVID-19, so we made kites in modeled on medical workers to pay our respect to them," said Zhang Huagang, who was flying kites at the festival.

The event has developed into a world-famous kite festival. Last year, more than 100 teams from 65 countries and regions participated. Due to the pandemic, the city didn't invite overseas teams this year. Instead, overseas teams showed their kites via video channels.

Weifang now has more than 300 kite-making enterprises, generating 2 billion yuan ($293.1 million) worth of kites every year. Kites produced in the city are sold to over 40 countries and regions.

Video by Zhao Ruixue