The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-05-05
KITE FLYING IN CHINA.

| opPoI IuHlCS VI seeing lOf themselves TIT
queer kites and customs OF the Chinese
a short article on the subject will prob
ably interest our boy and girl readers
In the first place, the kite owners ant
flyers are not boys; but dignifed of
ficials, well-to-do merchants, and Otter
gray haired grandfathers. who vie will
each other in getting up the larges
and quaintest specimens of the CERT
colaat, while the children are only spec
tators.
But then these kites are very marvel:
OF skill, made in every imaginable form
OF immense size, and all sorts of ma
terials that can possibly be made avail
able for the purpose, besides having
very often a sort of musical attachment,
that sends forth a buzzing, whirrino
sound, as the kite flies through the air.
This has given rise to the name funq.
chang. or "wind harpsichord, by
which stately appellation these queer
"Celestials'' often designate their kites.
But they have also another name in
China for this favorite toy-che-gao,
which means ''kite," bird yery
numerous in Northern China, and verv
useful as street scavenger, in gather
ing up the garbage of lanes and fields
on the outskirts of large cities. The
gentle. gliding motion of these birds
has. no doubt, suggested the SYNONYM
OF their paper namesakes; just as the
boys have named their kites, in our own
and other English-speaking countries,
after the self-same bird. and probably
the reason is Identical on both sides the
water.
Chinese kites vary In length from
thirty feet to tiny playthings for the
children to learn on, of only a few
inches; and they are composed various.
| ly of oiled silk, tough mulberry paper.
grass-cloth and gold and tissue paper'
pasted over delicate frames of BAN
boo. In form. the kites represent pal
aces, pagodas, birds. beasts, butterflies,
hsh, wheels, baskets of flowers, trees
loaded with fruit, and sundry Other de-
vices. Some are in the form of enor-
nous dragons. serpents, or centipedes;
while others are the very fac sinaaes of
vultures, eagles and hawks, and often
there will be a regular ''pitched battle''
| between several of these monsters,
resulting usually in the destruction of
all engaged, the peculiar motion of the
different animals being SO perfectly i'm
ltated that one almost holds his breath
in horror, as they writhe and plunge in
mld-air, just above his head. Another
favorite device is to have several hawks
attached to central hoop, over which
they hover, or are pulled in and out,
by separate cords, as if contending over
quarry.
Occasionally castle is seen, with
spires and turrets, arched windows,
and vaulted dome, all lighted by. small
tapers, that soon burn down and set
fire to the airy structure. For a mo
ment the exhibit is grandly beautiful;
and then this literal "castle in the
AIR. with all its glory, goes out in ut
ter darkness. Sometimes an enormous
kite is made up of large number of
small ones. each of which looks like a
domino block, with rush four or five
feet long fastened to each end of these
small ones, while the whole are held
together by common stem. Even the
human species is occasionally repre-
sented In the multifarious category of
oriental kites. l remember one at
bangkok. the capital of Siam, in which
a queer sort of aerial game was per-
formed with corps OF eight actors.
all OF which were simply kites! Or.
rather, there were seven actors. and
the eighth kite was gorgeous
castle, built of transparent oiled
silk, over a framework of fine wire and
the fair edifice was brilliantly liphted nv
wax tapers. Within the castle was a
lovely maiden; and two demons, one of
whom was mounted on huge dragon.
paused before the door, upon which the
lady fled through the open roof, fol-
lowed by her two attendants. The two
demons pursued and the dragon looked
several times as if about to swallow the
maiden; but presently both demons and
dragons were thrown with violence to
the earth by a glittering angel, who
mad suddenly come to the rescue. Then
the castle blew up and fell as a pile of
ashes on the sward, while the anoe3
bore away the beautiful lady and both
were lost IN the distance. So ended
this game OF kites, in which there an
peared no living actor; demons, dragon.
angel and ladies being incenionsly
GUIDED IN their various movements bv
the hand that held the strings of these
queer specimens of the cerf-volant.
Kites are in vogue only at one season
OF the year, and then the whole popula-
ton turn out en- nansse, to celebrate this
annual festival of kite-fying. which
dates back thousands of years; and a
curious legend processes to account for
Its origin. This legend says that a
wise seer warned friend of his to
leave his house on certain day, taking
his wife and children with him. and NOT
to return until night, in order that thew
might escape the doom of impending
calamity; The man obeyed the iniunc.
ton, fled to the hills with his whole
fgmlly: and spent the day in kite-fivinp.
When he returned. at nightfall, he found
that the death-angel had passed over
MS dwelling, and every one of his
domestic animals lay stark and stiff