Kite enthusiasts from around the world will flock to Shihmen Township (石門), Taipei County, this weekend to celebrate this year’s Shihmen International Kite Festival.
The festival will see a host of competitors from home and abroad displaying their kiting skills in competition against each other.
The event has been hosted by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration since 2000.
This year, the event has drawn the participation of kite fliers from Australia, the UK, the US, Japan, Korea and Malaysia as well as from several local kite fliers associations.
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The Tourism Bureau’s deputy director general Steven Kuo Su (郭蘇燦洋) said Shihmen is now known as the home of kite fliers, as it has the Shihmen Kite Park, which is probably one of the best places to fly kites in the region.
Shihmen Mayor Liang Yu-xue (梁玉雪) said that although the Shihmen International Kite Festival clashes with the kite festival in South Korea this year, the South Korean Kite Association is still sending four representatives to attend the Shihmen festival.
Many kite fliers from other countries still have chosen to come to Taiwan as well.
At the press conference yesterday, the organizers also invited local kite makers to demonstrate special kites, such as Frisbee and parachute kites. These kites can be flown both indoors and outdoors.
MORE THAN KITES
In addition to kites, the festival now includes other wind-related activities, such as windsurfing and sailing, to highlight the various recreational activities available on Taiwan’s Northeast Coast.
Visitors can take the Taipei MRT Red Line to Hongshulin Station (紅樹林站), where a free shuttle bus service heading to Shihmen will be provided every 20 minutes.
The Shihmen International Kite Festival is held every year in September and October.
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