Significance of the kite flying

The kite flying is an interesting and attractive game for a long time appeared. It is not simply a game but also a traditional habit with particular significances.

The paper kite has the shape of Milan (a carnivorous bird). According to designs drawn from the socio-economic life and river civilization of the ancient Southeast Asia people, the organization of the society is constituted of two opposite elements. On a side, they are live animals in the dry environment. On another side, animals exist in moisture. Several people of the Southeast Asia have legends reporting to this design. For example: the lunar dynasty of the snake crowned Naga against the solar dynasty of the Garuđa bird (in Kampuchea); in the spectacles of the wizards of the Muong ethno group in Vietnam, they find a fish and a bird drawing on their crowned object.

According to this design, the kite flying away in the sky symbolizes the dryness. This is why this habit is held after the rain season. Thus, people hope that time will support a heavy crop.

The kite flying becomes popular in many Asian countries like Thailand, Laos, China and Vietnam. In a document published into 972, they said that formerly, the worshiping objects of Khmers were: musical bowls, plates, instruments, lance and five kites. When the harvest blows, the monks launch from the top of pagodas one or two kites attached to the sound instruments to beseech peace. If one of the kites falls, they must organize a ceremony of worship to exorcize the demons and also to request peace.

Previously, this habit was also practiced by kings. In the evening, under the Moon light, the king and his mandarins fly kites. They regarded it as a crowned object. For them, the kite flying was a worshiping ceremony of one Buddha's tooth kept in the Naga snake country. Then, the king had to stay outside for two months and his mandarins were with him to supervise the kite. In Thailand, the kings organized a race of kite. There were two teams. The male kite was called Kula and the female Packao. The male was to cut the wire of the adversary. The female was smaller and under a rhombus form. It used fabric bands around it to intertwine and limit the force of the male. Today, the kite is again started again and increasingly sophisticated. It appears much of pretty kite. Moreover, they organize competitions or exposures of kites to safeguard this so beautiful and so significant traditional habit.

Source: Vietnam Simple