A foreign girl posts before a kite at the 2008 Weifang International Kite Festival. [Ju Chuanjiang/China Daily]

In Yangjiabu village, northeast of the Weifang city center, kites were originally byproducts of local woodblock New Year prints, a national intangible cultural heritage item that dates back some 600 years.

In the beginning, substandard prints were made into kites for children, and later, the bright colors and exaggerated figures of the prints became popular features of local kites.

Yan Kechen, has been demonstrating how to carve woodblocks at Yangjiabu Folk Art Park for more than 40 years. He said his largest work took three years to finish, while regular-sized blocks require about five days.

Another master, Yang Junyou, has 50 years of experience in printing. He said the technique he uses is the same as used 600 years ago, except for the paint, which is a modern chemical product.

Although many people in the village can make New Year prints now, not all make a living from it. Yan said he has had about 30 students, but only two of them have become masters.

The village produces about 21 million New Year prints a year, many of them sold to more than 100 countries and regions overseas.

In contrast to Yangjiabu kites that focus on craftsmanship, kites made in the Wangjiazhuang area highlight practicality and industrialization.