Where to See Kites-Museums/Festivals/Conferences & Retreats

Museums
China
Weifang Kite Museum	Weifang/Shandong Province
Situated in the city of Weifang, Shandong Province and built in 1987, Weifang Kite Museum is China's first professional museum displaying various kinds of kites. The whole area is twelve thousand square meters with a floor space of 8100 square meters. The museum consists of twelve exhibition halls of different size. A superb collection of beautiful Chinese and foreign kites is on display, the oldest type being the "Luban kite" of the 5th century BCE.
Contact: www.chinakites.org


England
The Museum of Kites	Middleton-in-Teesdale
A vast collection of kites from all over the world, curated by Malcolm Goodman, is housed in a charming old bed-and-breakfast.
Contact: Malcolm.goodman@virgin.net


India
The Kite Museum	Ahmedabad, Gujarat Province
Bhanu Shah's curated collection of kites from around the world focuses on the fighter kites of India.
Contact: http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/ahmedabad/museums.html

Tel: 78369		Cervia, Italy Ali Fujino

Italy
The Art Kites	Palermo
Under the direction of Dr. Paul Eubel, the collection moves from venue to venue.
Contact: Dr. Paul Eubel

Japan
The Tokyo Kite Museum	Tokyo
This comprehensive collection of Japanese traditional kites, representative of all the regions of the country, includes more than 3,000 kites. The museum occupies the fifth floor of the Taimeiken restaurant in downtown Tokyo.
Contact: www.tako.gr.jp
Hamamatsu Festival Hall 1313 Nakatajimacho, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka 340, Hamamatsu, Japan The festival hall contains a small dashi, one of the shrines used in city parades during Golden Week. It also contains many kites and good information about the kite battle. Contact: Tel: 05434-41-6211		Tracey Brasington Rob Brasington

Ikazaki Kite Museum
1437 Furutako Ooaza Ikazakicho, Kitagun, Ehime 795-03, Ikazaki, Japan

This is a new museum, with kites from Japan and foreign countries and wonderful historical photos of the Ikazaki Kite Festival. Near the museum, a traditional papermaker has a workshop that is well worth visiting.

Contact: Tel: 0893-44-5202

Shirone Odako to Rekishinoyakata
1770-1 Suwaki Kamishimo Ooaza, Shirone City, Niigata 950-12, Shirone

A new museum, this large, beautiful building holds full-size Shirone kites, an extensive collection of Japanese kites (well labeled), and many unique foreign examples. The building even has a wind tunnel for kite testing.

Contact: Tel: 025-372-0315

Showamachi Odako Kaikan (Kite Museum)
637 Nishihoshubana Oaza Showamachi Kitakatsushikagun, Saitama 344-01, Showamachi, Japan

Four full-size Showamachi odako are the highlight of this museum. The museum also contains some foreign examples.

Contact: Tel: 048-748-1555

Yokaichi World Kite Museum
3-5 higashihoncho, Yokaichi City, Shiga 527, Yokaichi, Japan

This museum features the unique Yokaichi odako.

Contact: Tel: 0748-23-0081

The Toy Museum Kurashiki

A private collection, curated by Mr. Ooga, holds more than two hundred Japanese kites, surveying all of the kites of Japan for fifty-plus years. These kites are displayed among the most wonderful folk craft of Japanese toys.

Contact: Mr. Ooga, Director

Tel: (086) 422-8058

Contact: http://www.kurashiki.or.jp/english/main/sight/html/point/point1-05.html

		Japanese kite Kiyomi Okawa
Malaysia
The Malaysian Kite Museum (really the Pasir Gudang Kite Museum)	Pasir Gudang - outside of Johor
This museum displays five hundred kites in a relatively small, three-level display space. More than three hundred waus from all thirteen states of Malaysia, and two hundred kites from elsewhere in around the world, are featured. Also, among the masterpiece examples of waus, are displayed kitemaking materials, tools, techniques, memorabilia such as photographs, pins, ceramics, stamps and posters. The gift shop and library are accessible.
Contact:


Kite Museum	Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, Melaka
This museum is located on the fourth floor of the building housing the People's Musem in Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, Melaka. It was opened by the Chief Minister of Melaka in September 1995. The museum displays kites, traditional and modern.
Contact: www.virtualmalaysia.com

Indonesia
Museum Layang Layang	Jalan Haji Kamang No. 38, Pondok Labu, Jakarta 12450
This is the first museum of kites in Indonesia. Displays include collections of kites from all corner of Nusantara and also from other countries, including traditional and modern kites.
Contact: Tel: (021) 765-8075 Contact: http://selatan.jakarta.go.id/pariwisata/wbelajar_layangan.html

Taiwan
Kite Museum of Chiou Fen Chiou Fen (also Jioufen)	Taiwan
This is a glorious private collection of kites, making its home in an old building in the deserted gold mine town of Chiou Fen! The building houses the kites in the lower floors, with hotel accommodations and dining in the upper levels.
Contact: Mr. Weng Hsian Lai Phone: 886-2-2496-7709 Contact: http://www.cfkite.com.tw/

USA
World Kite Museum	Long Beach, Washington
Founded in 1980s, by a group of kite enthusiasts who wanted to gather examples of kites in one area, the museum has a collection of more than 1500 kites from many cultures; it features the Asian collection of David Checkley. Long Beach is an ideal location for a kite museum, as it has one of the most beautiful beaches to fly kites, attracting people from all over the world.
Contact: http://www.worldkitemuseum.com

Festivals
USA	The Berkeley Kite Festival Cesar Chavez Park, Marina	Berkeley, California
	Annually	Third weekend in July
	Contact: http://www.highlinekites.com/Berkeley_Kite_Festival/

	Kites on Ice	Madison, Wisconsin
	Annually:	First weekend in February
	Contact: http://www.madfest.org/kites/index.php

	Sun Fest	Ocean City, Maryland
	Annually:	End of April
	Contact: http://www.kiteloft.com/sunfest.shtml

	Washington State International Kite Festival	Long Beach, Washington
	Annually:	Third weekend of August
	Contact: http://www.kitefestival.com/

Denmark
	The Kite Retreat	Fano, Denmark
	Annually:	Second weekend of June
	Contact: http://www.classic-kites.org/

Italy
	Arte Vento	Cervia, Italy
	Annually	Last weekend of April/early May
	Contact: http://www.artevento.com

China
	Weifang
	Annually	April
	Contact: http://www.chinakiteonline.com/index.html

	Guilang	Info coming soon

	Nantong	Info coming soon

	Beijing
	Annually	April
	Contact: http://www.asia-discovery.com/china/travel-guide/beijing/festivals.htm

Canada
	Vancouver Kite Festival	Vancouver, British Columbia
	Annually:	Summer
	Contact: http://www.bcka.bc.ca/Events/PacRim.htm

	Dieppe Kite Festival	Dieppe, Nova Scotia
	Every two years	2005, 2007, etc
	Contact: http://www.cerf-volant.ca/english/home/index.cfm

France
	Dieppe Kite Festival	Dieppe, France
	Every two years	2006, 2008, etc.
	Contact:http://dieppe-cerf-volant.org/dccv/ukaccueil.html

Germany
	Lunen Kite Festival	Lunen, Germany
	Annually	Info coming soon
	Contact: http://www.vlieger-team.de/

Japan
	Hamamatsu Festival	Info coming soon
	Shirone Festival	Info coming soon
	Uchinada Festival	Info coming soon

Taiwan
	Taipei County International Kite Festival	Taipei, Taiwan
	Annually	September
	Contact:	Info coming soon

Conferences

	Japanese Kite Association	Uchinada
	Annually	first week in May
	Contact: http://www.tako.gr.jp

	American Kitefliers Association	Location in US changes annually
	Annually	September/early October
	Contact: http://www.aka.org

	Historical Kite Conference	Europe
	Annually:	Usually April
	Contact: sauve.lief@chello.nl

Retreats (Kite making workshops)

	Fort Worden Kite Retreat	Fort Worden, Washington
	Annually	first weekend in March
	Contact: http://www.kitemakers.org/

	Midwest Area Kitebuilder's Retreat	Oregon, Illinois
	Annually	second weekend in March
	Contact: Barbara Meyer

	Assn of Oregon Kite Makers	Twin Rocks Friends Camp
		Rockaway Beach, Oregon
	Annually	second week in January
	Contact: Diane Weber

	Maryland Kite Retreat	Bethesda, Maryland
	Annually	Second weekend in February
	Contact: Maryland Kite Society