Kite - Eternal Scenery: Chinese Folk Culture (Color Illustration Version)

Author: Yun Zhongtian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Let's look at the second statement. Regarding the record of Han Xin carrying a flute player on a kite, its absurdity is evident. Someone has already pointed out: "Even without mentioning the ancient times, how easy is it to make a kite that can carry a person, ascend smoothly, and land safely today!" Let's set aside the safety factor of kites for a moment. Even if someone really were to ride on it, they would likely be terrified, let alone play a 'nostalgic tune'! As for the claim that Han Xin 'made paper kites and released them to measure the distance of the Weiyang Palace,' this needs to be examined from two perspectives. On one hand, neither historical records nor archaeological evidence prove that paper had already been invented in Han Xin's time. Since people at that time did not yet know how to make paper, how could Han Xin have made 'paper kites'? This is a flaw in the record. On the other hand, if we temporarily set aside the minor error of the 'paper kite' detail, using a kite to measure the distance of the Weiyang Palace has a high likelihood. The Ming Dynasty's Lang Ying refuted this record by saying: "How can the height of the string be used to measure the distance of the land?" However, Lang Ying overlooked the fact that China had already proposed the Pythagorean theorem as early as the pre-Qin period. Knowing the length of the kite string and its angle of inclination, one could accurately calculate the distance of the Weiyang Palace using the theorem. Of course, this story only has a degree of plausibility. It is not found in official histories like the Records of the Grand Historian or the Book of Han, so it cannot be taken as an established fact. The account in the Southern History of is undoubtedly an important record. It is the earliest written material about Chinese kites, and the Southern History also provides the specific time of the event: the thirteenth day of the first month in the third year of the Taqing era of the Liang Dynasty, which corresponds to February 25, 549 CE. Lang Ying also refuted this record, asking: "Why must the kite fall precisely on the location of the relief army?" This question is unreasonable. The Southern History clearly states that the kite was released "due to the northwest wind," not randomly. As long as the length of the kite string is roughly accurate, the chance of it landing in the location of the relief army is high. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty's Ding Yonghui mentioned in the Zhiti Record that dozens of kites were released at the time, making it even more likely that they would fall into the hands of the relief army: Even if they didn't fall into the relief army's possession, there was still a chance they could be sent there, as the imperial decree explicitly stated: "If the kite is delivered to the relief army, a reward of one hundred taels of silver will be given." For those in dire straits, any method that could lead to rescue would be tried. Therefore, this historical record is entirely credible. However, we cannot credit Yang Charen or Emperor Jianwen of Liang as the inventors of the kite. Creating a kite in a moment of crisis and successfully flying it once is clearly illogical. The invention of the kite must have occurred earlier. Yang Charen or Jianwen of Liang merely utilized a kite that had already been invented by others. As for regarding Li Jie as the inventor of the kite, this is even farther from the evidence we currently possess. The accounts in the Inquiry from the Herdsman and the History of the Five Dynasties about Li Jie and others flying paper kites in the palace for entertainment are credible. However, like Emperor Jianwen of Liang, Li Jie merely made and flew a kite that had already been invented by predecessors. Based on the above analysis, regarding the time of the kite's invention, we can draw the following conclusion: The kite was initially called 'paper falcons,' 'paper eagles,' or 'paper kites,' and its invention must have occurred after papermaking technology had already developed and paper had become somewhat widespread. The incident of Emperor Jianwen of Liang flying a kite to seek relief in 549 CE was merely a military application of the kite, so the invention of the kite must have happened before that. It can be concluded that the kite was born roughly during the Wei and Jin periods.