Kite Maker Chan Kin-chuen
During his 30 years as a kite maker, Chan Kin-chuen has built an 800-foot dragon, caused an accidental UFO scare and been chased by dozens of dogs. He tells June Ng about the highs and lows of kite flying.
HK Magazine: How did you get into kite making?
Chan Kin-chuen: I’ve liked making kites since I was a kid but it wasn’t until I was 18 that I started to take it seriously. I got my own income so I could afford to buy more material. I learned more advanced kite-making techniques by reading books and gradually I got to know people with the same interest and we exchanged tips.
HK Magazine: Tell us about your UFO kite.
CK: I make a special type of kite which is strong enough to hold LED lights so it can glow in the night sky. It was originally invented by a European but he used an expensive light alloy. I use straws. People thought it was a UFO and contacted the authorities.
HK: Apart from this alien kite which other of your kites are you most proud of?
CK: There are so many! One is an 800-foot dragon-shaped kite which I made to celebrate the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It’s made of 800 individual cells. Each cell is a round-shaped kite unit that can fly on its own. Unfortunately, I had to downsize it to 180 feet because the bigger the kite, the higher it flies and Hong Kong has height limits for kite fliers. I also have a fiberglass kite in a kite museum in Shandong.
HK: Is it hard to get hold of kite-making materials?
CK: It depends. It’s easier for the general retro type of kite. You can use shredded bamboo for the backbone and get paper from stationery shops. But, for the fabric I use in my UFO kites or the really long dragon kites, I have to rely on my special connections in China.
HK: Is it difficult to launch a big kite and control it in the air?
CK: It is! The worst is the dragon. It feels like there are a dozen German Shepherd dogs pulling at the strings and I need two people to help me get it up in the air. Transportation is quite annoying too. I could easily damage it during a commute on public transport. Most of the time I’ll only take them out if a friend can give me a ride.
HK: What’s the worst thing that can happen when you’re launching a kite?
CK: Dogs! They love chasing moving objects. I remember once in Lobster Bay I was trying to demonstrate the dragon kite for a TV crew but suddenly a small dog came out of nowhere, jumped up and attacked the kite when it was only a few feet off the ground.