In the history of flight, the first lighter-than-air balloon (1783) and the
first powered aircraft (1903) are very recent when compared with the age of
kites. The exact date and origin of the kite is not known but it is believed that they
were flown in China more than two thousand years ago. One legend suggests that
when a Chinese farmer tied a string to his hat to keep it from blowing away in
a strong wind. The earliest written account of kite flying was about 200 B.C. when the Chinese General Han Hsin of the Han Dynasty flew a kite over the walls of a city he was attacking to measure how far his army would have to tunnel to reach past the defenses. Knowing this distance his troops reached the inside of the
city, surprised their enemy, and were victorious.
were flown in China more than two thousand years ago. One legend suggests that
when a Chinese farmer tied a string to his hat to keep it from blowing away in
a strong wind. The earliest written account of kite flying was about 200 B.C. when the Chinese General Han Hsin of the Han Dynasty flew a kite over the walls of a city he was attacking to measure how far his army would have to tunnel to reach past the defenses. Knowing this distance his troops reached the inside of the
city, surprised their enemy, and were victorious.