The Chinese novelist Lu Xun, author of the book, The Kite, penned the adage, "…give him a kite, approve of his flying it, urge him to fly it, and fly it with him. We could shout, run, laugh!".

Lu Xun's quote about flying a kite, despite depicting his reminiscence of childhood regret to his little brother, also expresses the positive experience of kite-flying, which is reflected in the 40th Weifang International Kite Festival.

The festival took place on April 15 and is held annually in the picturesque city of Weifang in Shandong. This year, 622 kite enthusiasts from approximately 60 countries and regions participated in the event, marking the day as a celebration of community cohesion and cultural appreciation of kites with shouts, runs, and laughter.

The festival features colorful kites of all shapes and sizes dotting the sky against the backdrop of Weifang's open grasslands, from majestic dragons to graceful butterflies to modern designs like the Chang'e 5 lunar probe and the Fuxing bullet train.

Tan Hung Heng, a professional photographer from Australia, described the festival as "a scene straight out of a superhero movie, thousands of kites swoop and soar as they fly through the sky with precision and finesse."

Tan was invited to a two-day trip to Weifang from April 15-16, in which international journalists and internet influencers learn more about Weifang's kite festival, culture, and history.

For expats, the festival provided a unique window of appreciation to connect with the local community and promote cultural appreciation. They flew kites alongside their Chinese counterparts and engaged in friendly competitions. Language barriers melt away as the universal language of kite flying brings them together in a shared experience of joy and excitement.

The group was also invited to the Shouguang Vegetable High-tech Demonstration Park. They were in awe of the cutting-edge technology used to cultivate a wide variety of oversized vegetables, from lettuce to tomatoes, in this demonstration park.

The group was captivated by the state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities, automated irrigation systems, and advanced fertilization methods like germinating seeds in outer space to be used for production on Earth. They even had the chance to savor these fresh and flavorful vegetables firsthand.

Impressed by the sustainable practices employed at the demonstration park, Sobraj Al Akand, a social media influencer from Bangladesh, said it's incredible for him to see precision farming techniques like sensor-based irrigation not only maximize crop yields but also minimize water usage, reducing environmental impact.

"China is leading the world towards sustainable growth and laying the groundwork for common prosperity," he noted, saying that such practices align with global efforts towards sustainable agriculture.