The Weifang Kite Museum in the World's Kite Capital

The Weifang Kite Museum is a place to go to learn about kites all over the world. It is in Weifang, a city that is renowned as the World Capital of Kites, in Shandong Province in eastern China. It has twelve galleries with models and kites from China's ancient past to modern times and kites from around the world.

• 2,000 kites from around the world, 12 gallery rooms, 2,000 square meters (21,000 square feet)
• Suggested visit: an hour

• Chinese: 潍坊风筝博物馆 Wéifāng Fēngzheng Bówùguǎn /way-fung fnng-jnng bor-woo-gwan/

Weifang as a World Kite Leader

Weifang is renowned as the World Capital of Kites and is becoming more of a tourist area. It has a long history as China's number one kite making area, and the city if famed for its kite craftsmanship. The extensive tradition and various types of kites are explained in the museum.

In 1989, during the Sixth International Kite Festival, the International Kite Federation was founded by representatives from China, the USA, Japan, the UK, Italy, and other twelve countries. Weifang is the headquarters.

The Area Is Famed for Kite Craftsmanship

Weifang's handcraft industry has had equal fame with Suzhou of Zhejiang Province since the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty about 217 years ago. It was China’s largest kite producing area and distribution center during the dynastic era.

The techniques of kite making are well preserved. The craftsmen and their products have been promoted as a tourist attraction since 1980s, and they city attracts many tourists from other places in China and abroad every year.

Museum Highlights

The First Exhibition Hall — History and Development of Kites

The exhibition hall mainly gives an introduction to the historical and cultural development of kites, and explains about the various schools and styles, competition rules for kites, and the "Weifang International Kite Meeting." It displays various kinds of unique fine kites from home and abroad.

The Second Exhibition Hall — Weifang Fine Kites Exhibition

Weifang, called Wei County in history, is the hometown of kites. It is also one of the four kite schools in China. For hundreds of years, the local people in Weifang have kept the custom of flying kites and of holding kite-flying competitions.

Influenced by the Weifang folk arts of clay sculpture making, embroidery, making jewelry, and carving wooden New Year paintings, Weifang kites have a distinctive style. This is especially true of the Yangjiabu kites that give priority to the wooden New Year paintings.

The Third Exhibition Hall — World Fine Kites Exhibition

The exhibition hall gives a presentation of the brief history of kites and an introduction to the kites of North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Europe and the United States. It also displays the fine kites of those countries.

The Fourth Exhibition Hall — China's Fine Kites Exhibition

The exhibition mainly presents the kite making tradition and displays of kites from Beijing, Tianjin, Weifang and Nantong.

The Comprehensive Kite Exhibition

The exhibition primarily instructs about the process of the kite-making. The production process of kites involves binding, pasting, painting and flying in this order. These are called the "four skills of making kites."

Travel Essentials

• Address: 66 Xingzheng Street, Weicheng District
• Bus 2, 5, 16, 22, 30, 32 or 36 to Bank of China (中国银行 Zhōngguó Yínháng)
• Entry: 20 yuan/person. During the kite festival period, it is 30 yuan (including the price for the circular-screen movie).
• Open: all year around — 8am–6pm in spring and summer; 8am–5:30pm in autumn and winter

Weifang and Kite Tours

The International Kite Festival is held there every year. The city is the headquarters of the International Kite Federation and hosts the festival every year. You might wish to arrive from April 20th to May 7th when the Weifang International Kite Festival is held to enjoy both.

• If you enjoy arts and crafts, our Beijing Handicraft Tour is an option. We can extend it to include seeing the handicraft in Weifang.

All our tours are modifiable. You can tailor a Weifang tour or have our experienced travel advisor assist in designing your tour.

Nearby Attractions

Weifang is an old city and is noted for other types of crafts other than kite making as well. Other attractions are nearby the museum.

• Wangjiabu Garden: The area was attracts visitors and tourists and highlights arts and crafts and kite making. There are also museums and displays of crafts objects.
• Shihu Village: This is one of the three best attractions as rated by TripAdvisor in 2016. The garden dates from the Qing Dynasty (1885), and people say it is a fine example of a southern style garden north of the Yangtze River. Construction has marred the scenery recently. There is a structure dating from the Ming era (1368 to 1644) that is a highlight.

Related Reading

• China's Top 10 Museums