Chinese Traditional Games
1. KITES
There are many folks tales about the origin of the kite. A Sung
Dynasty commentary puts their first appearance in the Warring
States period. But Lin K’un of the Yuan dynasty believed that the
kite was invented in the Han dynasty to unsettle the enemy by
the eerie sounds of attached whistles. History records that the
kite was also used to signal for help. One theory has the kite
invented during the Five Dynasties period (907-959 A.D.) and
brought to Europe by Marco Polo in the late 13th century.
In Taiwan, kite flying is associated with autumn. Split bamboo,
which is light and strong, is the traditional material for making
the kite frame. There are hundreds of kite shapes including the
centipede and giant dragon kites.
