Tianjin

Mr. Wei’s father was a kite-maker, his father’s father was a kite-maker, his grand-father’s father was a kite-maker. As this unassuming man, who is in fact one of the most well-known kite-makers in Tianjin, excitedly shows me how to fly a mini-kite indoors, I cannot help but feel a certain sadness knowing that his son has no interest in continuing the craft. For this generation, the world is full of possibilities, alternative past-times and more financially rewarding careers. Whether these bring him as much satisfaction as kites do to his father, who unboxes his kites as if a child opening gifts on Christmas morning, is not for me to judge. I have been free to chose my own interests and career, so I should probably celebrate the fact that China’s new generation can now do the same.