Benin students learn how to make kites at Confucius Institute

Benin students at the Confucius Institute of Abomey- Calavi University in Cotonou learned how to make traditional Chinese kites at a workshop held at the university on Saturday.

At least 60 Benin students participated in the workshop. Guo Hongli, a kite specialist from China’s “kite city” of Weifang in East China’s Shandong Province, came to the West African nation of Benin to join the workshop and teach children how to make traditional Chinese kites, which have been registered as a world intangible heritage since 2000.

Guo said he was very happy to share the techniques used in making traditional kites with the students so that they could make kites by themselves and then fl y them during their spare time.

According to Guo, there are three phases involved in making a kite: fi rst the framing, then the gathering of bamboo spare parts that constitute the outline of the kite, and fi nally the gluing and decoration of the kite.

Fifame Sehlin, a primary school student, said she enjoyed the class.

“After taking this workshop at the Chinese cultural center in Cotonou, I can now make kites and show how to make them to my fellows,” she said.

Frejus Kpogbozan, a fi rst grade student, said learning how to make a kite has helped him learn more about Chinese culture and history.