The "Kite King in Southwest China"

“儿童放学归来早，忙趁东风放纸鸢。”谁的童年中，没有飘荡过一两只风筝呢？

Any Chinese kid must be familiar with the kites.

随着春夏的到来，新晋的成都市市级非遗传承人邓静又开始忙了起来。这位被誉为“西南风筝王”的成都风筝扎制技艺(金牛风筝制放技艺)传承人，奔波于各个省市之间，参加不同的风筝活动。

As the spring and summer arrives, Deng Jing, a recently-appointed city-level inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in Chengdu, finds himself increasingly occupied. Esteemed as the "Kite King in Southwest China," this custodian of Chengdu's kite-making artistry (Jinniu kite-making and flying techniques) traverses around the country, attending an array of kite-related festivities.

川味特色：四川风筝融合绵竹年画的特点

邓静介绍，传统的四川风筝大都以慈竹为材料。四川产的慈竹弹性、韧性都很强，且重量轻，是制作优质风筝的原料。

Deng Jing elucidates that traditional Sichuan kites predominantly utilize Ci bamboo as their raw material. Renowned for its elasticity, resilience, and lightweight nature, Sichuan's Ci bamboo is the quintessential ingredient for constructing premium kites.

四川传统风筝的制作讲究四步：扎、裱、绘、放。邓静说，四川风筝吸收了绵竹年画的特色，色彩鲜艳，对比度强烈。而手艺人耐心细致地反复上色，保证了上色效果匀净、透亮。因此，四川风筝才能做到在颜色鲜艳的同时，还能达到透光的效果。

The meticulous process of crafting traditional Sichuan kites encompasses four parts: crafting, mounting, painting, and flying. Deng Jing explains that Sichuan kites have absorbed the unique traits of Mianzhu New Year paintings, featuring with vivid colors and striking contrasts. Artisans demonstrate patience and precision in applying multiple layers of color, guaranteeing a uniformly blended and luminous effect. In this way, Sichuan kites achieve a stunning balance between vibrant hues and translucency.

在邓静的眼里，风筝不仅是玩具，更是一种民俗文化的代表。四川地区放风筝的习俗，一般从春节前后持续到农历四月。自从1988年国家体育总局把风筝列为体育竞赛项目后，更多的人开始把放风筝当作是锻炼身体的一种方式。

For Deng Jing, kites represent not merely childhood playthings but a treasured facet of folk culture. In the Sichuan region, the time-honored tradition of kite flying typically spans from the Spring Festival to the fourth lunar month. The inclusion of kite flying as a sports competition event by the General Administration of Sport of China in 1988 further bolstered its popularity, prompting a growing number of enthusiasts to view it as a form of invigorating exercise.

困境：传统风筝生存空间日益减小

邓静做风筝的经历已经有30余年。

Boasting over three decades of expertise, Deng Jing is a seasoned veteran in the realm of kite-making.

他以前也有自己的风筝厂，有时候年产量能达到一百多万只。但随着时代的变迁，现代风筝以其产业化、价格低廉等特点，逐渐打败传统风筝、占领市场。“我们传统风筝很难带来大规模的经济效益。手艺人不能靠它养家糊口，也就无法把这项技艺当作全职工作来投入。”

He once owned a kite factory, with annual production occasionally exceeding a million units. Yet, as the winds of change blew, modern kites - characterized by industrialized production and affordability - have increasingly eclipsed their traditional counterparts, commanding a dominant presence in the market. "Large-scale economic benefits elude the realm of traditional kites. Artisans struggle to make ends meet and are unable to devote themselves wholeheartedly to this time-honored vocation."

邓静认为，对传统风筝的守护，并不意味着对现代技术的排斥。“比如说现在也可以用碳片、玻璃钢做骨架，这会比传统的竹条制作的风筝保存得更久。但是我们制作、绘画的技艺，都值得保留下来，这些工艺才能体现传统风筝的美。”

Deng Jing contends that safeguarding traditional kites does not entail a wholesale rejection of contemporary technology. "Presently, we can employ carbon strips and fiberglass as frameworks, which offer a durability surpassing that of traditional bamboo-made kites. Nonetheless, our time-honored production and painting techniques merit preservation, as they exemplify the captivating allure of traditional kites."

当务之急：引导群众欣赏传统风筝

包括邓静在内的传统风筝扎制手艺人，都在为传统风筝的生存而努力。

Traditional kite-makers like Deng Jing relentlessly strive to ensure the survival of their cherished art form.

邓静第一次做风筝是在六七岁的时候。后来十多岁的时候，他就开始参加全国的风筝比赛。

Deng Jing crafted his inaugural kite at the tender age of six or seven. In his teenage years, he commenced his foray into national kite competitions.

他从自己的经历中总结出，只有将经历、记忆与传统风筝结合，年轻人才会有动力把这项技艺传承下去：“现在的年轻人不喜欢做风筝，也是因为他们没有亲手制作过风筝。”现在，邓静特别偏爱在学校里推广传统风筝。在他看来，只有在年轻人的记忆中种下传统风筝制作的种子，他们才会有动力把这项技艺传承下去。

Drawing inspiration from his personal journey, he deduces that the fusion of memories and traditional kites can galvanize young people to perpetuate this ancient craft: "The reluctance of today's youth to engage with kite-making stems from their lack of hands-on experience." Presently, Deng Jing is particularly passionate about promoting traditional kites in educational institutions. In his eyes, planting the seeds of traditional kite-making in the memories of young minds is vital for ensuring the longevity of this treasured skill.

邓静和其他手艺人的努力已经有了收获。“我们四川经过这些年的推广后，还是有非常好的效果，只要风筝好看，放飞的技艺也高超，全场都会给你鼓掌的。”邓静兴奋地说。

The tenacious efforts of Deng Jing and his fellow artisans have begun to bear fruit. "Through years of persistent promotion in Sichuan, we have achieved remarkable results. As long as the kite is visually captivating and the flying technique masterful, the audience will respond with thunderous applause," Deng Jing exclaims with excitement.