Dragon Kites

Dragon head with beard

Some centipede kites are very big and very expensive, since a lot of labor goes into making them. Most are mid-sized but still not cheap compared to children's kites.

Like most authentic Chinese kites, dragons can be displayed as works of art. This is particularly true for those in the centipede style, since they are so intricately made!

In flight, the head is closest to the ground. That's a good thing, since it's an impressive piece of art in its own right.

I remember seeing one of the smallest available kites of this type at an online store. Interestingly, one of the happy reviewers used it purely for decoration while the other took it out flying, with a child.

Photo courtesy of Wenna

However, you might need a decent breeze to get the smallest dragon centipede kites to fly.

Are you a kite geek? Let's talk wing loading! Painted raw silk weighs the same per unit area whether used in a small or large kite. Plus, aerodynamic performance of any flying thing gets worse on smaller scales.

What about when it's really windy? No problem. These kites can be flown in a 40 kph (25 mph) breeze, which causes the tail to rise almost vertically into the air. As you can imagine, in these conditions you need some help with a large centipede kite!

The bigger the kite, the more people are needed to keep it under control. You can also tether it to heavy machinery like a truck or something.

A flying centipede dragon is an impressive sight, with the long tail snaking skyward and tail-section feathers fluttering in the breeze. Like a live creature, the structure gently moves about on its leash.

The smallest dragon kites are pretty easy to get into the air. Just attach the bridle and hold it up for the breeze to catch the tail and take it up. The larger kites, while still easy to launch, take a bit more organization with connecting things up, laying out the tail, and so on.

Flying a traditional Chinese kite of any sort in wet weather is not a good idea. That's because hand-painted silk is not waterproof! Flying in turbulent air can also be a problem, so keep well away from buildings and trees.

Of course, as I've already mentioned, you don't have to actually fly your kite! They are genuine works of art, and many people have a dragon kite displayed somewhere in their home. That could be interesting in a one-bedroom flat though. Also, some businesses have a large dragon hung up somewhere to attract attention. It gets more people through the door I guess.

Medieval dragon

Of all the many categories of Chinese kites, there is one for hard flat kites.

This category covers all flat kites that consist of curved and straight bamboo spars covered with silk or paper. Hence, the outline of one of these kites can be complex, with some curved edges and some straight edges.

The image of a creature is painted on by hand, giving a fairly realistic impression of the creature flying through the air. In the case of an ornate oriental dragon, this results in something like the Medieval Dragon kite in the picture.

Finally, I believe there are some traditional Chinese kites which are 3D, where a little model of a creature is constructed from fine slivers of bamboo covered in silk or paper. A flat kite with straight spars is then attached to the 3D model which allows it to fly.