43rd Weifang International Kite Festival Opens in Shandong, Expands as Culture-Tourism Event

[Photo=China Luwang]

The 43rd Weifang International Kite Flying Competition and the 2026 Weifang Kite Festival opened April 18 in Weifang, a city in China’s Shandong Province.

Organizers described the event as a key program in the city’s tourism-themed year. Tourists and other participants from around the world attended the spring festival.

First held in 1984, the Weifang competition has expanded beyond a traditional event into a global platform that includes cultural exchange and friendship cooperation, as well as economic exchange.

[Photo=China Luwang]

This year’s festival is themed, “Leaping beyond mountains and seas, moving toward a trillion-yuan city.” It features 56 programs that combine kite culture with tourism, sports, the economy and consumer activity, aiming to promote a new consumption model that integrates culture, tourism, sports and commerce.

Weifang officials said the event is intended to boost the local economy and advance the city’s goal of becoming a “trillion-yuan city,” while strengthening its standing as a regional hub.

* This article has been translated by AI.

CHOI KO BONG kbchoi@ajunews.com