Unbroken Line of Kite

Interview with Ha Yiqi, Inheritor of National Intangible Cultural Heritage

　　The invention and application of kites can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China, and are mostly applied in the military field. By the Tang and Five Dynasties, kite flying became an outdoor activity for fitness and recreation. At present, China has four major kite producing areas, including Beijing, Tianjin, Weifang of Shandong and Nantong of Jiangsu. Upon talking about Beijing kites, the public used to say "Dashayan of South City, Heiguodi of North City", among which "Dashayan of South City" is the "Ha's Kite" featuring more than 170 years of inheritance, also namely "Kite of Ha".

Ha Guoliang, the founder of "Ha's Kite", began to explore the craft of making kites simply out of his hobby. During the subsequent family inheritance, the production skills constantly been improved, which is not only famous in the local area, but also winning its popularity overseas. In 1915, the four kites, "Butterfly", "Dragonfly", "Crane" and "Phoenix" of Ha Changying, the second generation of "Ha's Kite", have claimed the Silver Award at the Panama World Expo.

As the inheritor of the fourth generation of "Ha's Kite", Ha Yiqi has concentrated on kite skills research since the beginning of China's Reform and Opening up, realizing many achievements in a number of aspects, such as the innovation of kite art style, the geometric transformation of modeling, and the modern transformation of kite elements. Recently at the "Ha's Kite"campus tour of the "National Intangible Cultural Heritage" held by the library of Beijing Normal University, Ha Yiqi exhibited the works of the three generations of "Ha's Kite" since the Reform and Opening up, as well as the copies of the works of the first two generations that have been circulated overseas during. In addition to large, medium and small kites with different specifications, Ha Yiqi also displayed 8 representative kites for the viewers. "The inheritance of intangible cultural heritage is long-term work. We have caught up with a good era, how can we live up to the expectations of the government, society, the whole nation and future generations without keep learning, inheriting, creating and developing?" Ha Yiqi said.

Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage in "My" Eyes

In 2008, "Ha's Kite" was included in the list of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage. And its art of tying, pasting, painting and flying techniques embodies the experience and wisdom gathered by the predecessors in practice. As the successor of the noble cause, Ha Yiqi has explained his understanding of intangible cultural heritage by starting from his own experience. "When I was a child, my father was making kites every day. When I turned interested in kites, he did not teach me the skills when I tried to make my first one, but told me about the advantages of his kites for generations in the past decades, allowing me to comprehending myself. This is immaterial, I don't know how to do it If I were about to write it in words."

A successful practice is undoubtedly the best proof of this type of teaching and learning. In 1983, Ha Yiqi came to the United States alone to attend the San Francisco International Kite Festival. In the case that the commonly-used materials were not that ideal, Ha Yiqi decided to challenge himself, making an eightfoot big kite according to his plan. The eight feet here refers to the kite’s width, and the other parts were to be produced in an appropriate ratio. Considering that the kite was to fly off the coast, it must resist the test of nearly six-degree wind. The experience that his father once taught was instantly reflected in Ha's mind- "In the face of the wind, the skeleton should be thickened in the central part, which should be doubled, and the angle of the lead should be less than 90 degrees with the upright kite, so that the swing of the kite's leg can be controlled." Ha Yiqi recalled, "This is the experience my father told me." When the kite contest officially started, the moment when the kite Five Fish Swallow, which had not been tested, flew into the sky, Ha Yiqi was full of pride because he did not just represent the "Ha's Kite", but also the Chinese nation.

The San Francisco International Kite Festival became the debut of Ha Yiqi. The special prize he won was considered the recognition issued by the conference members. In Ha's view, this success is more to verify his absorption of the ancestral experience, the understanding of kite skills, and the immaterial culture preserved in this oral communication amongst generations. However, with the evolution of the times and the transformation of cultural trends, the traditional pastime of kites seems to be losing its original influence. How to keep the kite alive in the current cultural heritage has become the key issue in his mind.

Play the Better Role of Green Leaf in Inheritance "

We are not great artists, but green leaves. We can do small things in our lifetime, and we can make the leaves always green. Then our work is worthwhile." Ha Yiqi said.

In the early years, the ancestors made kites mostly for commercial purposes or for making a living. When reviewing their inheritance experience, Ha Yiqi quite emotionally said: "I was born at a good time, the government has provided us a lot of support, allowing us to stop struggling for livelihood and spend time for inheritance." A sense of responsibility for cultural self-confidence and the inheritance of national culture have always inspired him to become a driving force and supported him to "do more."

Since the end of the last century, with the increasing participation in foreign cultural exchange activities, Ha Yiqi has been inspired by the excellent kite design and production techniques overseas, and the idea of learning from innovation has quietly sprouted. The abstract concepts and geometric shapes in Western culture are deeply attractive to him. In the 1980s, he attempted to geometrically transform kites and explore the effects of structural changes on kite flying. Amongst them, his small kite work Circle in 1982 was a successful example. The entire kite consists of two sets of eight circular pieces of paper perpendicular to each other. And the bamboo is replaced by wires to connect each other and reduce the weight, creating a diamond pattern. The small kite, combining beauty and practice, is connected by only one wire, and it can be released with a little traction. Ha Yiqi said that the purpose of the geometric experiment is also committed to providing ideas for understanding and improving the traditional kite shape.

Apart from the structural thinking, Ha Yiqi also took advantage of his art major specialized in oil painting, and spent much effort in kite painting. When Ha Yiqi draws a kite, he uses the gradient flat coating method and the baking color to change the color according to the level of the surface to form a color block, face ratio, cold and warm contrast, and the contrast between stability and jumping, possessing a strong distant-visual color effect. Ha's representative work Blue-white Butterfly quite bold in color, he draws on the color of blue-and-white porcelain, together with the thick color of blue originated from the Han Dynasty ornamentation, intensifying the elegance of "Butterfly".

Innovation is a way of inheritance, and Ha Yiqi has been working hard for this mission. But as time goes by, he even began to consider the way of diversification in this cause.

He walked into classrooms at all levels to teach kite making skills and culture; he accepted apprentice while passing on the tradition, and abandoned the traditional concept of "Only Passing Amongst Family" and passed on the heritage to the young generations who love kite skills; he held exhibitions, systematically displaying "Ha's Kite", allowing the viewers to feel the kites’ charm at closer range.

In addition, entrusted by his father, Ha has been carrying out the work of painting a huge amount of kites for collections. In 2016, Ha Yiqi donated 100 pieces (sets) of paintings completed in 10 years to the National Art Museum of China. In 2019, he is still trying his best to draw the remaining 170 pieces.

In recent years, as his "presbyopia" becomes more and more serious, he joked, while looking at his ever-increasing glasses thickness, that "there is not much time left for me." Looking back on the vicissitudes of life, Ha Yiqi felt that he had not done enough. And he is still working hard to make more for future generations if his physical condition allows.