Spectacular kite festival takes flight in Hanoi

The event is being held in an urban area of Hung Yen province from April 30 to May 3 with the participation of kite makers from Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany and Vietnam.

The kites can be seen on the outskirts of Hanoi, and feature various aerodynamic designs that allow them to fly unusually high.

Traditional kites still make up a large number of those on display at the festival.

Long, a member of a Vietnamese kite team, is configuring flutes before attaching them to a kite for a performance.

A colorful flying squid beside a lizard and a dolphin.

One of the most exciting parts of the event are the performances by the international teams. The performance by the Singapore team involves four kites flying to the background music of a song titled "Bonjour Vietnam".

In the coming days, more than 500 kites will continue to fly, potentially attracting many more visitors to the show.

It takes a lot of effort to get these giant kites up into the sky.

Visitors can enjoy the kite performances while listening to the melodies produced by the Vietnamese "flute kites".

Large kites require two milimeter thick fabric and hundreds of meters of string.

This is also a favorite tourist destination near the Hanoi capital for many Vietnamese families.

Author: Giang Huy