A French tourist is flying a kite under the guidance of the staff. [Photo/ chinatibetnews]
"2011 Lhasa traditional kite Tourist and Cultural Festival" opened at the racetrack of Lhasa, the regional capital of Tibet autonomous region, on September 17.
The kite festival, with the slogan of "beautiful Tibet, flying higher", included a kite show, flying kites, kite competition and other performances. According to Badro, the director of Tibet Tourism Bureau, the activities were designed to further deepen the in-depth tourist and cultural exchanges, promote the comprehensive development of tourist seasons, and warm up for the upcoming winter tourism in Tibet.
This was the second kite festival since Lhasa kite was added to the first National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List in 2006. The festival aimed to inherit and develop Lhasa kites as well as combine the intangible cultural heritage protection and tourism industry development to further enhance the attractiveness of tourism in Tibet.
The activities attracted lots of kite players, enthusiasts, the residents, and domestic and foreign tourists. Nearly 200 people came to fly kites and enjoyed the festival. More than 60 contestants were selected to take part in the kite fighting competition.
The kite culture of Tibet has a long history. It is said early in 1000 years ago, with the emergence of Tibetan paper, there were Tibetan-style kites. The kite was mainly popular in Lhasa and Shigatse. The kite festival is important to promote the development of the traditional handcraft.
