On April 3rd, more than 20 international faculty members from 16 countries gathered at Peking University Faculty House for a fun event organized by the International Faculty Center: the Art and Culture of Chinese Kites. The profound charm of the Chinese aesthetics of the kites and the traditional Chinese crafts made a long lasting and joyful impression.
Students from the International Faculty Center provided a comprehensive introduction on the 2500-year old history of Chinese kite making and the wisdom of their craftsmanship: descriptions of the vivid scenes of children flying kites in the 12thcentury masterpiece scroll along the River During the Qingming Festival, the four major skills of kite-making (binding, pasting, painting, and flying), the unique characteristics of kites from different regions (for examples, the animated bamboo frames of Weifang kites versus the delicate silk kites from south of the Yangtze River), and lastly the different meanings behind various kite patterns (peonies, peach blossoms, dragons, and archways).
Through pictures and videos, international faculty members gained a better understanding of the cultural and philosophical meanings carried by kites. In the hands-on kite-making session, participants mixed colors, outlined designs, and painted their kites with diverse creativity. Some used traditional patterns like peonies and auspicious clouds to convey good wishes, others combined modern elements with the dragon totem, and some drew inspiration from their own native cultures to create spring sceneries that transcended geographical boundaries.
Eric Taylor from the School of Foreign Languagesremarked that by making kites with his own hands, he could clearly sense not only the ingenuity of this traditional Chinese craft but also the Asian wisdom on harmonyofman and nature. Jyoti from the School of Electronics was most charmed by the Asian aesthetics as she touched and handled the silk paper and bamboo frame. Florian Böhm from the School of Physics appreciated this opportunity to experience Chinese culture beyond textbooks, and he looked forward to participating in similar cultural immersions in the future. Creative ideas were exchanged and shared throughout the hands-on experience, along with everyone’s new found insights and appreciations for Chinese traditional culture.
