Experience Gone with the wind in Beijing

For over 300 years, Beijingers traditionally have flown kites after Qingming Festival, according to Jing Sui Shi Ji Sheng, a book recording Beijing customs during the Qing Dynasty. Even today, Beijing is still considered one of three main origins of delicate kites (the other two being Tianjin and Weifang), produced via 10 different methods. Pang Jianyu, a 78-year-old local Beijinger, said, "Flying kites used to be like a national spring greeting ceremony. No matter how early or late spring arrives each year, you know it's here when you see colorful kites flying in the sky."

Where to get your kite

1. Sanshizhai

Located at the northwest corner of Di'anmen Outer and Di'anmen West Streets, Sanshizhai kite shop goes back three generations. "We are famous for crafting 'royal kites'," said Liu Bin, 33, the current owner of Sanshizhai. "My grandfather Liu Huiren was recruited to make kites for the imperial palace." Sanshizhai is still famous for these fine "royal" handicrafts today, but they also have a wider range to meet the kite flying needs of the laobaixing.

The shop offers 40 kinds of kites, including traditional shayan kites (Beijing's most famous, with a frame of five bamboo sticks and painted to look like a swallow) and dragon kites.

According to Liu, most of Sanshizhai's kites fall into the "traditional" category, meaning their frames are made of bamboo while the kites' surfaces are made of paper or silk and hand painted. Prices depend on size, complexity and the time needed to make the kite. Those below 500 yuan are purchased by people looking to fly them for fun, according to Liu, while others, ranging from 500 yuan to thousands of yuan, are purchased for gifts or by professional kite flyers for competition.

Customers can also come to Sanshizhai for an 80-kuai DIY experience. "Making a kite basically includes binding, gluing, painting and test flying. For the beginners, the binding and gluing of the framework is better left to us, but the DIY painting is more doable. Non-woven cloth kites are recommended for first-timers, as they take the color more easily."

Address: A 25, Di'anmen West Street, Xicheng District

Tel: 8404-4505

2.You'an Kite Workshop

You'an offers retail and wholesale simple, triangle kites, most of which are painted with cartoon characters. Owner Hao Yinting said, "Those are more suitable for children or beginners, especially the ones within 1.5 meter's width." On the higher end of things, besides paper butterfly, eagle and swallow shaped kites, they sell kites that illuminate; according to Hao, these are made of umbrella fabric to keep them light while remaining tough enough to carry lights and a circuit board.

There are plenty of unpainted white kites and wheel spindles waiting to be made beautiful here, and even experienced kite flying trainers and craftsmen can be provided for groups of up to 10 at a time.

Address: No. 63, You'anmenwai Street, Fengtai District

Tel: 6329-6826

3. Sunhe Kite Market

Head to Sunhe Village for a seemingly infinite number of choices in the city's largest kite market. Most of the stores in town get their finished kites here, and so can you, for dozens of yuan cheaper.

Directions: Sunhe Village, on the east side of Jingshun Road, north of the Fifth Ring Road, Shunyi District

4. For collection only: Liao Wu Hen

There are also plenty of places worth visiting to shop for more decorative kites. Liao Wu Hen, in Houhai, is a handicraft shop that opened in 2009, selling non-woven cloth kites (mostly to tourists) that retail for a couple hundred to thousands of yuan, including the delicate "dragon's head" kite that won the prize at the International Kite Festival in Weifang, in 2005.

Where to take flight

1. Tiananmen Square

As the most famous capacious open area in Beijing, the square regularly sees hundreds of people testing or showing off a sweeping variety of colorful kites in scenes that have become emblematic of the square, and of spring. If you like a festive or competitive atmosphere, then this is the place to go, as long as you can deal with sharing air space with others.

Address: Tiananmen Square, Dongcheng District

2. Haidian Park

It's not easy to find a designated "allow to trample" lawn in this town, fortunately Haidian Park features a swath of grass in the middle where people may frolic. This tall-fescue lawn occupies around 30,000 square meters and is green 280 days out of the year, so trample away as you strive to get your kite aloft.

Address: No. 2, Xinjiangongmen Road, Haidian District

3. Tiantan (Temple of Heaven)

Between Qinian Hall inside Tiantan and Yuanqiu Temple there is a 28-meter-wide, 360-meter-long white marble corridor, broad and smooth. Since it's surrounded by a 2.5-meter wall that helps keep kites out of the surrounding trees, hobbyists consider it one of the best choices for flying kites.

Address: Tiantan Park, Tiantan Road, Chongwen District

4. China Millennium Monument Plaza

The plaza offers a wide open stone area with relatively few plants, an ideal space for oversized kites that require a lot of space to get aloft. However, flyers should keep an eye on the square's nearby telephone poles, where kites may become snarled with the wires.

Address: A9, Fuxing Road, Haidian District