(VNF) - Participants came from across Vietnam to Ba Duong Noi village in Hong Ha commune, Dan Phuong district, Hanoi to complete in a kite-making annual contest, which was passed down to them through several generations.

Kites are gathered to prepare for the kite festival in Ba Duong Noi village. (Source: Facebook/Làng Bá Dương Nội)

Ba Duong Noi villagers hold a kite festival on the 15^th day of the 3^rd lunar month every year. This year it falls on April 11^th in the solar calendar. This is the main festival day.

For local people there, flying kites is a long-standing cultural value. The people have considered kite making and flying the pride of local culture for a thousand years. Generation after generation of villagers have maintained and preserved this feature of their homeland’s traditional culture.

Ba Duong Noi village known for its beautifully crafted kites made in the shapes of crescent moons or boats and attached to wooden flutes that play soft melodies as the wind passes through them. (Source: Facebook/Làng Bá Dương Nội)

Dating back to the Dinh dynasty in the 10^th century, the village has a reputation as one of Vietnam’s kite flying centers.

Unlike Hue kites, which are colorful and have many elaborate shapes, the shapes of this village’s kites are simple without tails.

Kites are not only a fun activity; they are also a way for villagers to send their prayers for good weather and abundant crops into the sky.

The kite is a symbol of yin and yang, connecting heaven and earth. The sound of the flutes drives away miasma and epidemics. Kites symbolize good luck and the higher they fly, the better the harvest will be. Kites are also weather forecasters.

Both the kite and the flute are traditionally made of bamboo, a material found throughout Vietnam’s countryside. (Source: Facebook/Làng Bá Dương Nội)

The kite string is also made of bamboo. Old bamboo is selected for the kite frame; the bamboo is cleaned, dried in the sun then soaked in lime juice for several days to discourage insects. The frame is covered by a special kind of Dó paper. This makes the kite water-proof and light.

To make a good flute, artisans must select the right bamboo. It must be old bamboo that has survived sun and rain, unbroken by extreme heat and wetness./.

Participants prepare to fly their kite. (Source: Facebook/Làng Bá Dương Nội)

Compiled by VNF