Where is Kite Wei an intangible cultural heritage project?

1. The story of the founder of Kite Wei:

Wei Yuantai, a Tianjin native, was born in the 11th year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty. When he was 16 years old, he became an apprentice in Zhacai shop and learned to make kites. After his apprenticeship, he opened a Zhacai shop and made kites as a business. Wei Yuantai followed the example of his predecessors and reformed the traditional kite craftsmanship, forming an artistic style with changeable shapes and vivid paintings. At that time, he was the leader in Tianjin's kite-making craftsmanship, and people called it "Kite Wei". In 1912, Wei Yuantai's 11 works were selected by the then Beiyang Government's Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce to be sent to San Francisco, the United States, to participate in the Pacific World Exposition and win medals, thus enjoying a high reputation at home and abroad.

2. The fourth generation descendants of Kite Wei: "Kite Wei" has been passed down to this day. This traditional skill is full of vitality in the hands of the fourth generation descendant Wei Guoqiu. Wei Guoqiu, the fourth generation descendant of "Kite Wei", has been influenced by his family environment since he was a child. He has learned kite-making skills from his grandfather Wei Shenxing (the second generation descendant of "Kite Wei") and his father Wei Yongchang (the third generation descendant) since he was a boy. He is currently The representative figure of "Kite Wei". Although he came from a kite-making family, he still went to Tianjin Academy of Arts and Crafts for further studies, striving to develop and innovate on the basis of inheriting traditional crafts. The kite skeletons made by Wei Guoqiu are all perforated, and the tenons are fixed as a whole. They are foldable and foldable, and are hand-painted. The patterns are simple and exaggerated, full of national characteristics. They can be as large as a thousand-meter dragon, or as small as only a few centimeters. They can be flown and are very powerful. It is ornamental, unique in shape and structure, and easy to carry.

Wei Guoqiu's work won the first place in the "National Kite Competition" in 1982; the first place in the Tianjin "International Kite Competition" in 1983; at the 11 Asian Games, it was sold within one day There are 800 "Kite Wei" kites, which are collected by tourists from all over the world. In 1993, Wei Guoqiu participated in the Chinese Folk Art Expo and won the first prize in the craft performance; in 2004, he was awarded the title of "Folk Arts and Crafts Artist" by UNESCO; in 2005, he was hired as an art researcher by the China Academy of Arts; In 2007, he was selected into the first batch of representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage projects.

At present, there are thousands of varieties of "Kite Wei" kites. Wei Guoqiu has traveled to the United States, Germany, Canada, Australia and other countries with his works, and participated in various cultural and economic exhibitions. Many of his works have been collected by museums and have become a symbol of China. A distinctive project for foreign cultural exchange.

"No matter what you do, you must first like it in your heart." Wei Guoqiu said. His great-grandfather Wei Yuantai, the founder of "Kite Wei", made kites because he liked it.

3. Introduction to Wei Guoqiu:

Wei Guoqiu, male, Han nationality, born in 1961, Tianjin native, arts and crafts artist, representative inheritor of national intangible cultural heritage project, fourth generation successor of "Kite Wei". Member of the Chinese Writers and Artists Association, researcher of the China Academy of Arts, and director of the Tianjin Folk Writers and Artists Association.