黄河之畔风筝飘飘
In March in the Golden City, the spring breeze 拂过 the surface of the Yellow River, creating layers of ripples and lifting kites all over the sky. The lively scene of "taking advantage of the east wind to fly kites" reappears along the Lanzhou Yellow River Scenic Line. Reporters found that this year's kite market has not only ushered in a sales peak, but also staged an interesting scene in the sky where professional stunt kites and children's pocket kites "dance together on the same stage".
Sky Arena: Stunt kites perform "high-difficulty" tricks
On the open lawn of Marathon Park, looking up, the sky 俨然 becomes a huge arena. Different from the common triangular kites in previous years, there are many "highly skilled" participants over Lanzhou this year.
"Whoosh——" With a 一阵呼啸声，three brightly colored stunt kites, under the control of professional players, neatly performed aerial rolls, dives, and spirals, drawing bursts of applause from the onlooking citizens. Citizen Mr. Chen held a dual-line control handle, looking focused: "These are sports kites, also called stunt kites, which can perform various movements. I've been playing for five or six years. If you're skilled enough, several groups of people can cooperate to fly in formation." According to Mr. Chen, the price of such stunt kites ranges from dozens of yuan to several hundred yuan, and professional-grade ones can even cost more than a thousand yuan. "The one I have here is an entry-level stunt kite, costing more than a hundred yuan. The line is about 20 meters long, and it can fly up to a hundred meters high when the wind is good," he said. Stunt kites require relatively high control skills, but playing with them gives a greater sense of accomplishment, "it's like painting in the air."
Threads in children's hands: Pocket kites become a new favorite
Compared with the "high-end and sophisticated" kites of professional players, the kites in children's hands appear particularly small and cute. On the waterside square near Zhongshan Bridge, five-year-old Duoduo is excitedly running while holding the spool. The "pocket kite" in her hand, which is not much bigger than a palm, is happily tumbling in the wind. "This is a small kite specially designed for children. It can be folded and put into a pocket, so it's called a pocket kite," Aunt Li, the vendor selling kites, told reporters. This kind of kite is easy to operate, light and safe, and is especially suitable for young children. "The small ones are 15 yuan each, and the larger ones are 25 yuan. Each comes with a 20-meter-long string. It's hot today, so many people are out playing. I've sold more than ten in the morning," she said. Although some seven or eight-year-old children are also playing with them, these small kites are mainly designed for young children. "Even two or three-year-old kids can play with them. They don't need to run too fast; they can fly them while standing in place."
Reporters noticed that these pocket kites come in a variety of patterns, including cartoon animals, superheroes, princess castles, etc. They are brightly colored and deeply loved by children. "I just want Elsa the Princess one!" a little girl pulled her grandmother's hand and pointed to the kite on the stall. Aunt Li said with a smile, "It's been a bit hot these two days. When the temperature drops a bit and the wind becomes steadier in the next few days, more people will come to fly kites."
Wind-Chasing Map: These places are the most suitable
For citizens new to the "kite-flying community", choosing a suitable location is crucial. Based on recommendations from experienced kite flyers, the reporter has compiled a "Golden City Kite-Flying Map". The top choice is Marathon Park. With its vast lawns, wide-open views, and being far from high-voltage power lines and tall trees, it offers extremely high safety, making it especially suitable for families with children or flying large stunt kites. Citizen Mr. Zhang, who spent an afternoon flying kites here with his son, smiled and said, "The place is spacious, so the kids can run around freely, and we feel at ease." The stretch from Zhongshan Bridge to the Waterwheel Expo Park is also a classic option. With an open river surface and stable, strong winds, this location allows one to capture the ancient Yellow River waterwheels, the century-old iron bridge, and kites dancing in the sky all in one frame, making it an excellent internet-famous check-in spot. However, it should be noted that there are many pedestrians here, so it is essential to watch out and avoid them while flying kites.
Sports Park and Yintan Wetland Park are also good choices. The Sports Park is located on Yanning Road, Chengguan District, with convenient transportation; Yintan Wetland Park is more secluded, suitable for citizens who want to avoid crowds. In addition, senior players recommend the Yellow River Music Fountain Square (near Fuxing Furniture Plaza on North Binhe Road), where the venue is open and there are no high-voltage lines blocking the surrounding area. Some citizens also shared: "Dongfanghong Square is particularly suitable, with no trees and no obstacles at all."
Safety Compulsory Course: Stay Away from Wires and Be Cautious of "Invisible Knives"
During the interview, several citizens told reporters about various "embarrassing incidents" they encountered while flying kites. Citizen Mr. Liu pointed to a wobbly kite in the sky and said, "What is worth alerting is the potential safety hazard of kite strings." A citizen pointed to the indistinct strings in the air and said, "Transparent fishing lines are particularly scary; they are sharp and hard to see clearly. Colored lines are better." This reminder is not unfounded. Reporters checked the data and found that in recent years, there have been cases of pedestrians being cut by kite strings in many parts of the country. The harm caused by a taut kite string to the human body is no less than that of a sharp knife.
In response to this, the power and fire departments in Lanzhou have issued reminders on multiple occasions: when flying kites, one must choose open places and stay away from power lines. According to the "Regulations on the Protection of Power Facilities", it is prohibited to fly kites within 300 meters on each side of the conductors of overhead power lines. Once a kite gets caught on a power line, do not pull it with your bare hands; you must call the power supply service hotline for help.
Urban warmth: What is flown is a kite, what is basked in is the mood
By the Yellow River, the reporter met Ms. Zhang, a citizen who was flying a kite. She was in high spirits, reeling in and letting out the string in her hand while chatting with people around her. "I'm 57 years old. I used to come to the river to fly kites quite often. The weather has been good these two days, so I hurried over to fly it," she said with a smile, taking out the kite with a Nezha pattern she bought last year and skillfully operating it. "Others say I have a good attitude and can't tell my real age. Actually, the most important thing is to keep a good mood and come out to exercise regularly."
A friend nearby chimed in, "We mainly came to soak up the sun and, by the way, fly kites." This remark drew a burst of laughter from the people around. By the Yellow River on this spring day, everyone was enjoying the warm spring sun in their own way—whether it was the players focused on maneuvering stunt kites, the children running while holding small kites, or the elderly sitting on stones soaking up the sun. As a citizen put it, "The best height for flying a kite is where it's visible to the eye; if it's so high that you can't see it, there's no point. Once you're skilled, you don't need to run—you can fly it just standing here." (Reporter: Hua Xiaojing, text/photos)