Why are kites so popular in Bali?

In Australia, flying kites is generally something kids do for a bit of fun. But in Bali, the pastime is deeply rooted in tradition, believed to appease the gods and popular among people of all ages and socio-economic groups.

Kite flying is also a team sport in Bali. Giant kites shaped like dragons or fish can measure 10m across and have tails up to 100m long are made and flown in villages during the dry season from June to September, when cool winds from Australia blow across the island’s south coast.

To learn more about the tradition, I met with Sheryl Eupena, “experience manager” at the Regent Canggu Bali, a newish super-luxury hotel I recently reviewed for this newspaper. In addition to teaching yoga and fitness classes, Sheryl teaches guests how to make “canang”, the small hand-woven baskets used as religious offerings in Bali, and leads a kite-painting class.

“Kites originated in China about 3000 years ago. They were used to share signals for military purposes,” she explains. “When the Chinese began trading in the seventh century, kites reached Bali and other parts of South-East Asia.

“In Bali, kites were originally made from natural materials like bamboo, cotton and leaves, and used to scare birds away from rice paddies. Kites made the harvest more successful and for that, they were seen as a gift from the gods, which is how they became spiritual objects. And as the Balinese became more creative, they started making different types of kites shaped like fish, dragons and birds.”

After hearing the origin story, participants in the class are given a small bird-shaped kite — a blank canvas set on an old-fashioned easel, along with water-based paints and brushes to decorate their kites.

“This isn’t an activity for kids; they get bored too easily,” Sheryl says. “It’s mostly couples that like doing it, especially our Chinese guests. I recently had a couple from Weifang, the kite capital of China. They took great pride in their work and said they would take it home to show to their family and friends.”

The paint must be applied thinly on the kite so as not to weigh it down, and it dries almost instantly. Afterwards, Sheryl takes participants to a lawn on the beach where they get to fly them. Having not flown a kite in more than 40 years, I found it incredibly relaxing, almost therapeutic, a real calming experience.

To see big kites in Bali, you don’t have to go any further than the beach in Canggu or any of the popular beaches on Bali’s lower west coast: Kuta, Legian, Seminyak or Seseh, during the dry season. There, groups of young men with spools the size of car tyres launch massive dragon and fish-shaped kites into the sky.

If you like kites and happen to be in Bali in late July, Sanur, a tourism and kite-flying hub on Bali’s lower east coast, is the place to be. Every year, on the last or second last weekend of the month, the Bali Kite Festival is held at Padang Galak Beach. The date is weather-dependent and only announced in early July.

Founded in 1979, the festival sees the best kite-flying groups from every village in Bali — as well as kite masters from across Indonesia and from as far as China and Australia — compete for glory.

“There are four criteria,” Sheryl explains.

“First, how the team flies the kite, their teamwork and communication skills. Second, how smoothly the kite flies in the sky. The third criterion is about the sound made by the kite’s bamboo frame. The louder and more beautiful the sound, the more points scored. And finally, how they land the kite. If the kite hits the sand, they lose points. The team needs to catch it to ensure a smooth landing.”

Tickets to the Bali Kite Festival are available at the Bali Provincial Government’s website (lovebali.baliprov.go.id) and are usually sold out weeks in advance.

“Last year I wanted to go, but they were sold out,” Sheryl says. “But you can still just go to the beach and see them flying high in the sky.”