An 80-year-old man from Nghe An province enjoys the elaborate hobby of flying bamboo flutes.

Mr. Dinh Xuan Quang (Hamlet 5, Lac Son Commune, Do Luong District) currently owns dozens of kite whistles. His kite whistles are made from familiar items such as soda cans, dried gourds, plastic pipes, aluminum hand pumps, bamboo tubes, and reed tubes… Despite being homemade, these whistles produce a magical, melodious sound when the kite soars into the air.

Mr. Dinh Xuan Quang is a long-time kite player and collector. Photo: Ngoc Phuong

Although he is 78 years old this year, Mr. Quang still makes kites and flutes and goes kite flying every day. Passionate about kites, he learned to make them at the age of 10. His family has a long tradition of making and flying kites. Inheriting the techniques from his ancestors, Mr. Quang quickly grasped the secrets of making flute kites.

His childhood passed quickly with kites soaring in the wind. Growing up, he joined the army, serving in various battlefields. In 1984, after retiring, he returned to his hometown and resumed his hobby of making and flying bamboo kites during the summer months.

Mr. Dinh Xuan Quang's flute collection. Photo: Ngoc Phuong

When asked about the kite-making process, he spoke enthusiastically and didn't hide his family's secret recipe. He shared: "To make a kite with a stiff top wing, the two ends must be flexible. The bamboo for the kite frame must be carefully selected and harvested at the right time, from November to December in the lunar calendar. The bamboo used for kites must have even, straight nodes, not be bent. After cutting, the bamboo must be dried, not soaked. Soaking it in water will weaken the kite quickly. When whittling the bamboo for the kite wings, it must be evenly shaped, stiff in the middle, and becoming softer towards the end. The length and width of the kite must correspond in a 1/3 ratio." As for the fabric for making kites, Mr. Quang often uses fabric from broken umbrellas, because umbrella fabric is very durable and lightweight.

Besides making kites, crafting the whistles to attach to them is also a meticulous process. Mr. Quang demonstrated his high level of skill by making kite whistles from a variety of materials. He explained that there are many types of whistles for kites, such as 2-slot and 3-slot whistles. There are also multi-tiered whistles with 3, 5, 7, or 9 whistles. Materials for making whistles can include soda cans, dried starfruit, bamboo, reeds, plastic pipes, etc. The whistle mouthpiece is made of yellow heartwood or jackfruit wood. The most difficult part of making a kite whistle is crafting the whistle mouthpiece, ensuring the sound is clear, resonant, and varied in pitch when the wind blows.

Mobile phone batteries and LED lights are used to attach to the kite, making it visible at night. Photo: Ngoc Phuong

To fly kites at night, Mr. Quang invented a kite light. It's a battery from a mobile phone attached to a tiny LED light. Thanks to the power from the battery, the LED light will stay red all night.

Currently, in addition to dozens of flutes of all kinds, Mr. Quang's house also has 9 kite flutes, the longest measuring 5 meters, followed by other sizes from 3.5m down to 3.2m, 2.5m, and 2.2m. When he makes a kite, he often gives it to friends, children, grandchildren, and those who share his hobby of kite flying.

Mr. Quang took his kite out to fly in the field. Photo: Ngoc Phuong

Despite his advanced age, every summer afternoon in the breezy fields, he and many friends, young and old, share the joy of flying kites. And then the sound of the kite whistles echoes across the countryside…