Ma Jian, a craftsman in Rudong county, Nantong, shows off the 2.3-meter banyao whistling kite he has made. [Photo/WeChat account: dream8086]

Ma Jian, a craftsman in Rudong county, Nantong, recently completed a 2.3-meter banyao whistling kite, which features 1,000 whistles in different sizes.

The whistling kite is the largest he has ever made. It took him nearly two years to collect raw materials and six months to make the whistles.

"I prepared dozens of kinds of bamboos. The materials can be neither tough nor soft," said Ma.

During the six months of processing work, Ma spent more than seven hours each day in his workshop.

"Making a whistle requires at least 40 steps and hundreds of tools. I could make only five to six whistles each day as precision is essential for the whistles to sound simultaneously under the same wind force," Ma explained.

Ma is currently the only whistling kite craftsman in Rudong. He hoped that the huge kite can arouse interest in the traditional kite-making technique among the younger generation.

Ma Jian makes whistles for kites at his workshop. [Photo/WeChat account: dream8086]   

Whistles in different sizes made by Ma Jian. [Photo/WeChat account: dream8086]