Those magnificent veterans and their crafty flying inventions

A kite flying team at Xuhang Town in Jiading District enjoy their hobby at an open field.Established in 1996，the team comprises many seniors，ranging from 57 to 85 years old.

Kite flying has enjoyed a long history in China.Playing outdoors in freSh air，it gets people to look up into the sky and see its awesome beauty.

There is a kite flying team at Xuhang Town in Jiadi ng District.Established on October 29，1996，the team iS formed by the seniors，ranging from 57 to 85 years old.

The team iS headed by Xu Bailong，a 72-year-old retired worker.Kite flying has been Xu's hobby since childhood.

After retirement，he wit- nessed how boring life could be for some old people at commu- nitieS.In many cases，they were obsessed in playing mahjong to kill time.

In view ofthis，Xu gave up his own leisure time，knocking on neighborS'homeS door by door to encourage them to join the kite flying team.Out of a love for kites and kite flying，the team came into being.

Starting from scratch，the number of team members has increased from seven to 38.

During the past 13 years，the members made several hundred kites of different shapes and SizeS.

“At first，we had to follow some diagrams to make kites. But now，we can make whatever deSign iS in our mindS，”Xu said in a proud voice.

Four years ago，to make a huge kite of 87 meters，the team members gathered each noon after lunch and worked till midnight.Two weeks later，they finally completed the kite.

“We celebrated it by clapping hands in wi ld joy，”said Wu Guangyao，one of the members.“At that time，all in my mind was to finish the kite as soon as poSsible.”

To make kites more beautiful， the members go to different place to find materials.

Qian Shaoxing is 72 years old.However，he iS extremely pasSionate about it.He has been to Fuqiao Town in Taicang， Jiangsu Province，many timeS to collect chicken feathers.Being willing to help，he is always ready to teach others how to make akite.

The biggest change to the seniors after joining inthe team is that they feel healthier than before.

Zhang Yingjia in his 70s is one of them.When he joined in the team in 2004，he walked with crutches.Six months later， he became much more flexible than before and was no longer in need of the crutch.

Zhang said many old people were even rel ieved from the pain of spondylosis.

Nowadays，the team mem- bers are invited to schools such as Tongji University and Xuhang High School to teach the skills.

“Kite flying is a Chinese tradition.However，many kidS don’t even have acceSs to it，” said the team leader Xu.“We hope to devote ourselveS to make the Sport Survive genera- tion after generation.”

A member of the kite flying team in Jiading District controls a lengthy dragon kite during an outi ng activity.