This Day, That Year

Item from Jan 13, 1993, in China Daily: "Wei Yongchang ... successor of 'Kite-maker Wei', who was famous for producing high-quality kites in Tianjin, restores the kite shop 'Chang Qiangzhai' after 16 years of closedown."

"Kite-maker Wei" was a legendary craftsman whose brand became one of the three famous traditional handicrafts in Tianjin, North China's coastal city. His shop was founded in 1892 and recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in June 2008. In the 1980s, a French customer arrived at Wei's store and asked for some portable kites to take back to France. Wei Yongchang came up with a foldable kite, small enough to fit into an envelope.

Now in his 80s, Wei Yongchang is still devoted to creating kites and painting them. His son Wei Guoqiu, seen here next to his father and in his workshop, has managed the shop for more than 40 years. He has built on the family's kite-making techniques, with innovations such as robust and half-frame versions that have won several national awards.