A soaring success

Kites have provided a way to enrich rural life. Over 60,000 people in rural Weifang are employed in the kite industry in areas such as painting and design, as well as in the production of strings and wheels, according to statistics provided by the city government.

In Wangjia Zhuangzi village, which has over 4,500 people, half of the population makes kites. More than 80 enterprises are involved in the kite industry in the village. They make over 80 million kites every year, generating a total revenue of 280 million yuan.

Zhang Zhengxun, born in the 1990s, returned to his hometown to help his father run a kite business after working in another city for years.

Zhang set up an online sales outlet for his family enterprise.

"The number of kites sold online accounts for 30 percent of our total production," he says.

Wang in Yangjiabu says the potential to expand the global market for kites is big, because people around the world are paying more attention to their health.