The 25th Rudong Kite Festival brought enthusiasts to Rudong county in Nantong, Jiangsu, for a vibrant celebration of traditional and sport kite flying. The two-day event kicked off at the county's Xiaoyangkou Tourism Resort on Oct 17.

Forty-three teams and nearly 300 athletes joined the event, filling the sky with dragon kites, string kites, and others shaped like soft-body octopuses, horses and centipedes.

Competition categories included string, banyao, soft-body, rolling-dragon, and two- and four-line sport kite ballet.

Colorful kites are prepared and flown at the Xiaoyangkou Tourism Resort during the festival. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]

Rudong's whistling banyao kite, known as an "airborne symphony", was a highlight. Liu Jianfeng, an inheritor of the Nantong craft, presented a kite made of 331 small hexagons with 331 facial designs.

Standing 127 centimeters tall, it carries 777 whistles of different sizes. Liu said it took months to complete. He expressed his hope that the festival would help more people discover and love Rudong banyao kites. He said he also plans to teach children in schools and hold community exhibitions to further promote the craft.

Rudong has 86 kilometers of coastline, 4,555 square kilometers of sea and 2,000 sq km of land. The kite festival has been held for 24 editions. It has become an important platform for kite enthusiasts across the country to compete.