Nghe An boy with passion for kite flying
(Baonghean.vn) - "Cuong Kite"is the nickname that friends give to Nguyen Sy Cuong (19 years old) in hamlet 2, Thanh Luong commune (Thanh Chuong) - a boy with a strange passion for kites.
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"Cuong kite" in the village field. |
Born into a family with a tradition of kite flying, his father and brother are both kite enthusiasts, and since he was in 4th grade, Cuong has been making kites to play with. Up to now, he cannot remember how many hundreds of kites he has made, both single kites and kites with a string.
Cuong said that in the past, when he was still at home, he only knew how to make traditional flute kites from his hometown with the characteristics of a big belly, single flute (1 main flute, 2 secondary flutes). After returning from the South, Cuong learned to make many new types of kites, with diverse shapes, with flutes and beautiful colors. Every time Cuong went flying kites somewhere, people easily recognized his kites through the shape and colors that stood out against the sky.
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Cuong's hands are both diligent and skillful in making the parts of the kite. |
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The inside of the cone, the most elaborate part of the kite. |
After graduating from high school, Cuong worked for 2 years in Binh Duong. Here, Cuong participated in activities at Di An Kite Club, traveled with the Club to many provinces and cities in the East and West of the South to fly kites and got to know many "kite experts" in Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks to his passion and diligence in learning, Cuong has accumulated a lot of experience in making and flying kites.
Returning to his hometown, in addition to farming with his family, Cuong focused on making kites, both to satisfy his passion and to earn extra income. One advantage is that Cuong’s father is a carpenter, so the house has all the necessary tools for saws, chisels, etc. In the past, Cuong’s father also used to make kites, and now in his spare time, he and his son adjust kite flutes.
Coming to Cuong's house, people will see a mess of tools and materials for making and flying kites everywhere, from under the bed, on the table and chairs, on the curtains... Except when he is not at home, Cuong is always seen sitting and working hard on his kites. Recently, Cuong has focused on making large kites with a wingspan of 3.5 - 4m, carrying a set of 7 - 9 pairs of flutes. Each kite set costs no less than 1 million VND.
Cuong confided: "Seeing that I make beautiful kites and flutes that sound good, kite players inside and outside the province often come to order. Although the income from selling kites is not large, it also helps support my family, when I do not have a stable job."
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Every day, except when he is away from home, Cuong can always be seen busy with his kite. |
Cuong's strong passion for kites has been recognized by a number of achievements such as: Bronze medal at the Kite Competition in Binh Duong (2015), First prize, Second prize at the Kite Competition at the Sen Village Festival in 2016...
Cuong said: "I have been attached to kites since I was a child and will continue to be attached for a long time. I hope that in the near future, our province will also establish a kite club so that kite enthusiasts in the province can have a playground to exchange, learn and spread this simple but attractive hobby of flying kites."
According to Cuong, making a kite has many stages: preparing raw materials (bamboo, wood, fabric, string, glue, etc.), making the frame, making the cover, making the flute and connecting, of which making the flute is the most elaborate. Making a single flute is simpler because it only requires 1-3 flute cones placed on a flute body which is a milk carton, while making a set of flutes is complicated, consisting of 5-9 double flutes of different sizes arranged in a set. In making a set of flutes, the bamboo flute must be thinly shaved, the wooden flute cones must be chiseled, sawed, carved, and trimmed to the right size, the reed must be thin and deep, and the holes must be appropriately drilled. A set of flutes usually takes a week to 10 days to complete. Currently, Cuong is considered an 'expert' in making kite flutes in Thanh Chuong with many types of flutes that produce beautiful and strange sounds such as bells, whistles, chords, etc. |
Huy Thu
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