Four banyao whistling kites produced by the Nantong Kite Arts Museum will be on display at the Jiangsu Arts and Crafts Collections Exhibition held in Nanjing, capital of East China’s Jiangsu province, on Aug 15.

The kites are themed on the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature: The Water Margin, Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and A Dream of Red Mansions.

Each kite is 1.88 meters in both width and length, according to Hu Zhi, who spent more than two years making the kites.

Nantong is one of four major production areas for kites in China. It is famous for its banyao kite, a large, flat, whistling kite with a hexagonal frame adorned with exquisite decorations and vibrant colors.

The whistles are made from dried gourds with a slit carved into the top, allowing them to produce a variety of sounds as they fly.

A banyao whistling kite themed around A Dream of Red Mansions [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A banyao whistling kite themed around Romance of the Three Kingdoms [Photo/ntfabu.com]