Hu Zhi shows his kite. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Banyao whistling kites made by Hu Zhi, a kite craftsman from Gangzha district, Nantong city, won first place at the Jiangsu Arts and Crafts Collections Exhibition, which concluded in Nanjing on Aug 18.

The award-winning works 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 measures 1.88 meters in both width and length, according to Hu, who spent more than two years making the kites.

The 59-year-old man has loved kites since childhood and participates in various kite-flying activities while preserving and improving upon traditional kite-making techniques. Early this April, he won first place for traditional folk crafts at the Weifang International Kite Festival.