Dan tao village| Đan Tảo| the flying kyte village in outskirts of Hanoi

 One of the interesting village for who loves kytes is Dan tao where you can live as local people and mingle with the traditions.

Kites are back – and not just for kids

Few of us get to live out our childhood dreams and feel the simple pleasure this achievement brings.

Watching his hard work soar and croon in the gentle breeze, Nguyen Huu Kiem knows he has found such happiness thanks to his singing kites.

The kite village

Kiem was born in a small village called Ba Duong Noi in Ha Tay Province.

The village has long been known for its beautifully crafted kites made in the shapes of crescent moons or boats. Attached to the magnificent creations are small flutes that play soft melodies as the wind passes through their wooden bodies.

Kiem’s fondest childhood memories are of racing next to buffalo with the sweet sounds of his kite trailing behind him.

The boy, enraptured by his comely kites, made it his mission in life to learn as much as he could about making the lighter-than-air creations.

‘’While Hue kites are colourful and have many different shapes, kites of the country’s northern provinces are very simple," Kiem said. "Each kite is imbued with the history and cultural traditions of our village handed down from generation to generation."

Kiem’s journey to become a master kite maker allowed him to follow in the footsteps of his father, Nguyen Huu Ngo.

One of the village’s most famous kite crafters, Ngo showed Kiem the delicate art of making kites sing. The house, full of materials used to build kites, became even more crowded with the many soaring air-ships crafted by father and son.

Bamboo frames and special paper used to catch the wind just right filled every nook and cranny of his house as Kiem became a kite maker.

Though Kiem now lives in Ha Noi as an electrician, he often makes the 30km ride to his country home on weekends to fly his kites with family and friends.

His ongoing efforts to preserve this tradition earned him the prestigious title of Folklore Artisan last January.

Living tradition

Kiem and his fellow villagers make traditional Vietnamese kites known as dieu sao. The smallest kites are 2.2m long and have three bamboo flutes mounted on the top. The flutes vary in length and in the notes they produce.

The faster the kite swoops and dips, the more magical the flute’s music becomes, Kiem says.

"The sound is melodious. It has a soul and a rhythm as if it were carrying the artist’s heart," he added.

People who visit the village find the sounds calming and tranquil. Visitors and residents alike find peace of mind easily due to the melodies heard throughout the village, carried on the wind’s gentle currents.

"When listening to the flutes, people in the village know whose kite is whose," Kiem said. "Some make joyful sounds with their flutes while others create instruments producing deeper notes that carry the crafter’s innate feelings."

Every year in the middle of the third lunar month, Ba Duong Noi villagers come together to enter their kites in flying competitions. Events like these have been a part of village life since the Dinh dynasty in the 10th century. Kites, considered a hobby to many, played an important role in the lives of residents in this region.

Villagers here used to fly kites in an effort to carry their prayers for warm weather and abundant growing seasons into the sky. The flying crafts were also used to predict the weather.

According to the people of Ba Duong Noi, if a kite flew high, good weather was on the way for people working in the fields. Some residents believed kites had the ability to sweep away storms with the flutes’ song.

Recognition

More and more people are starting to realise the importance of preserving traditional practices in Viet Nam.

Kiem’s kite club was recognised by the Viet Nam Arts and Literature Association in 2002.

"Over the last few years, the number of people interested in making kites has grown. Students, and those who have already graduated, come back to their northern villages to make and fly kites all the time," he said.

The club has 25 members ranging from 20-year-olds to one maker who is 76. The members are from all walks of life, and according to Kiem, are more than willing to experiment and be creative in their work.

In an effort to involve the village’s children, Kiem opened a weekly summer class for kids, as well.

People from Vinh Phuc, Ha Noi, Thai Binh, Hue, Hung Yen and Hai Duong often come to Ba Duong Noi to make kites, with many turning to kite-master Kiem for his expertise.

Kiem spends as much time as he can teaching his fellow villagers about the craft to ensure the tradition will live on.

"The older generation will disappear little by little over time. We must rely on the younger generation, who have a true passion for flying kites, to preserve the art," Kiem said.

The man known for his love of kites is hoping to give northern creations more exposure by participating in the exclusive International Kite Festival. Right now, only kites made by artisans from Hue can take part.

Peace can be hard to find in many of Viet Nam’s bustling cities, but it does exist, Kiem says.

All one has to do is look north and listen carefully for the harmonious chorus of Ba Duong Noi’s many singing kites. — VNS