A Legacy of Flight

Swallow, butterfly and fish ... a wall of colorful kites. Facing it hangs a landscape oil painting. The darting combination causes no uncomfortable feelings. Chinese things stay in harmony with Western things in this small living room.

The room belongs to Ha Yiqi, 44, the fourth descendant of the family of Kite Ha (Feng Zheng Ha). "I used to learn Western art forms such as oil paintings and sketches as well. I think it's quite enlightening. My daughter, Ha Yi, also loves painting. Last month she came to me and said, 'Papa, teach me how to make kites. I want to learn.' I felt very happy. I have had several students. But she is my daughter, the descendant of the Has. I hope she can learn the craft."

Ha Yi, 10, is a fourth-grade student at Zhong Guan Cun No. 3 Primary School. In her spare time, she learns painting -- not traditional Chinese painting like her forefathers, not oil like her father, but watercolor. "I chose to learn watercolor myself because, um, I like it. Papa hasn't told me much about the family's past. I want to learn kite-making because I love to draw pictures."

The new generation has many more choices that the older generations did not have. Ha Yiqi's great-grandfather, Ha Guoliang, entered the profession more than a hundred years ago. In the past, before the Liberation, kite-making was not art but way to make a living. "My grandfather, Ha Changying, the Junior Kite Ha, had five children -- four sons and one daughter," Ha Yiqi said. "Interest or no interest, all of them learned this craft. They had to help make and sell kites to support the family."

Born after the Liberation, Ha Yiqi is luckier. He was not forced to learn the craft. Yet his childhood was influenced by the family tradition and the idea of carrying on the craft of the Has. "I remember my father making kites nearly every night, always working till one or two o'clock in the morning. At that time, he got a job in a small restaurant. He no longer needed to make money by making and selling kites. But he still kept making them. He was really obsessed by those kites. I was drawn to the craft. Meanwhile, my father kept asking me to learn from him. Then I stepped into the field at the age of 10.

In the years that followed, Ha Yiqi has made more than 10,000 kites. Some of his kites show surprising divergence from the traditional kites of the Has. He uses Western art elements in kite-making. His kites are painted with bright and sharply contrasting colors instead of those mild and light colors used in traditional Ha kites. He also makes kites that are asymmetrical or in the shape of abstract geometric figures.

"My father was very angry about my innovations," Ha Yiqi said. "He was a person who stuck to the tradition of our family. We had a big fight and did not speak to each other for three days. I know he was afraid that I would go astray and let the craft of Has die out." He laughed slightly at the memory. "As a matter of fact, I didn't really think much about the future of the craft until my father passed away five years ago. He taught me the craft. Now he is gone. I feel it is my responsibility to let the craft continue."

In talking about the future, the daughter and the father have their own perspectives. To the 10-year-old, the future is clear and simple. She shows the confidence and certainty typical of a child: "When I grow up, I am going to be a scientist ... and an expert in kite-making, too. I want to be both."

Ha Yiqi is not so certain. He looks puzzled and even a bit worried. "The future belongs to the generation of my daughter," he said. "In my head, it is still a big question mark. You see, she is still too young to know her future. When she grows up, she will face a lot of choices. She may change her ideas then, who knows? I will let her choose.

"I want to see the craft continue, through my daughter ... or other people. My father and I published a book on the craft of our family. Now I am writing another book. I want it to be all printed on paper, in detail with pictures, so that anyone who is interested in this craft may learn it by reading the book. A better way to continue the craft, I hope."

"She is still too young to know her future. When she grows up, she ... may change her ideas, who knows?