Weifang, a small city in east China's Shandong Province, has in
recent years become the "kite capital" of the world. Over the past
20 years, its kite festivals have done much to develop friendly and
cooperative relationships with as many as 145 countries and
regions.
The kite is well known for the delight it can bring to children but
it can bring economic benefits to make their parents happy too. For
example, during the 2002 Weifang International Kite Festival, a
staggering 10 million kites were sold bringing in 400 million yuan
(US$48 million).
Each kite festival brings cultural exchanges and gives a boost to
sports and health care, tourism and sightseeing and economy and
trade. The humble little kite has turned into a big player in the
development of the local economy.
Last year alone Weifang's kite related activities were responsible
for gross domestic product amounting to some 89.5 billion yuan
(US$10.8 billion). In the circumstances it is no surprise to find
the International Kite Association located in Weifang.
Weifang is the home of kites. The kites made here are famous across
the world for their elegant forms, bright colors and exquisite
craftsmanship not to mention how very well they fly. The Weifang
kite occupies an important place among Chinese kites.
A
delegation from Weifang went to the 1983 Shanghai Kite Show. They
caused quite a stir in the audience when they flew their kite fully
50 meters long and fashioned in the shape of a centipede with a
dragon's head. It was then that the smart Weifang people came to
realize just what a huge potential for their cultural and economic
development was waiting to be set free by the humble kite. The very
next year the first International Kite Festival was held in
Weifang. It attracted visitors from dozens of countries and regions
and marked the beginning of the worldwide influence of Weifang
kites.
Right from the start the kite festival was more than just a
cultural activity. From the time of the third festival onwards, the
Weifang organizers have been promoting trade fairs and exhibitions
to run alongside and complement the kite festival.
Since 1995 a trade fair has been held simultaneously with the kite
festival. This has done much to promote economic exchanges between
the province of Shandong and Taiwan and especially between the city
of Weifang and Taiwan. The year 2000 was the year that saw the
Shouguang International Agricultural Exhibition being brought on
board as well.
Since then the International Kite Festival, the Shandong-Taiwan
Trade Fair and the Shouguang International Agricultural Exhibition
have become regular features in the Weifang calendar.
To
date eight trade fairs have been held bringing in Taiwan investment
amounting to some US$1.5 billion. The three agricultural
exhibitions held so far have involved a total investment of some
4.6 billion yuan (nearly US$560 million).
The kite festival means good business for all those who provide
food, drink and accommodation. And it promotes tourism, commerce,
transportation and culture.
Each year during this period, Weifang welcomes as many as 30,000
visitors a day. The kite festival, trade fair and agricultural
exhibition coexist as a powerful catalyst for economic development
in Weifang.
Over the years the organization of the kite festival has made the
transformation from the mechanisms of the planned economy to those
of the market economy.
From the 1st to the 15th festivals, the government allocated the
funding and assigned tickets to enterprises. This led to financial
burdens all round.
In
1998 Weifang put forward a new model of "government sponsorship,
society participation and market operation." From 1999 on it began
to positively cultivate the active participation of commercial
organizations and both domestic and overseas enterprises have now
become active sponsors. Last year was the most successful so far
with six major cultural and sporting activities all sponsored by
enterprises.
And so the Weifang Kite Festival has turned out to be an economic
high flier.
(China.org.cn by Li Jinhui, February 4, 2003)