Lhasa (CNS) -- The Traditional Kite Tourism Cultural Festival was held in Lhasa, capital of Tibet, on Saturday. One of the events at the festival included kite combat.
The secret of kite fighting lies in a procedure called fixing "na" when making a kite, which involves gluing crushed glass to a kite's thread so that it can damage other kites. The kite that escapes being "killed" by the others and successfully cuts the rest is the winner.
Ci Dun, a local elder, is a big fan and veteran of kite combat. His father took him to kite contests during his childhood, when there was no fixed site for kite games and they usually played from the roofs of their houses.
Another tradition is to fly a kite high and cut the string, releasing it to the wind. It is believed that the kite will bring good luck for the gamers.
According to Ci Dun, there are different explanations for the origin of the game, none of which can be verified by historical records, although it is believed to be several hundred years old at least.
Across the Himalayas in Nepal, northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, local residents are also big fans of kite games, revealing a common folk culture.
Julie, a French tourist, said she had never been to a kite fight and enjoyed it her first time. Cautioned by her friends, however, her kite kept a safe distance from the battle.
The skill of making Tibetan kites varies from eastern regions and was included on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.
