4. Nantong kites

The artistic style of Nantong kites can be generalized as being plain in sculpture, having a multi-tuned whistle, and demonstrating elegance on colored patterns. The basic style of Nantong kites can be divided into "fixed-snipe" and "unfixed-snipe." (what does snipe refer to?)

The most outstanding characteristic of Nantong kites is the sound device. Various whistles, big and small, with the quantity differing from one hundred to three hundred, are installed on the Nantong kites, hence the kites' nickname of "Symphony on Air."

5. Jiangnan kites

The typical Jiangnan kites are "Symmetrical Fish" and "Snipe-Eagle," both of which are traditional kites made by the techniques of woodblock print.

6. Taiwan kites

The characteristics of Taiwan kites' sculpture are that they place an emphasis on feature and are summarized and simplified as well as magnified and transfigured.

Taiwan kites are good at soft-winged structures.

One kind of the kite figure is shaped according to the imitation of the beautiful part of natural objects. The other kind is the simulation of natural objects. It mainly has 21 kinds approximately, such as peg-top, dragon, aniseed, Chinatown, Eagle, butterfly, dragonfly, goldfish, symmetrical fish, salangane (a kind of bird), seven stars, seagull, palace lantern, flying tiger , centipede, big butterfly, big colored-butterfly, and so on.

 Main categories of Chinese kites

Chinese kites may be differentiated into four main categories:

1. Flat-Kites

Flat kites are constructed within a single plane, and are made of a completely rigid  bamboo frame. Spars (longitudinal beams) frame all the four sides of the frame or of the frame segements. Most of these kites, which are very easy to fly, are flown with long tails to grant a stable in-flight behavior.

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