The world's biggest kite, shaped like a dragon and stretching over 280 meters, soared on Sunday in the skies over the Chinese city of Weifang.

The city in the eastern province of Shandong is the birthplace of kites and home to the Weifang International Kite Festival since 1984.

The highlight of this year's edition was the "Chinese Giant Dragon," four meters in height and 3.6 meters in width. The kite has the head of a dragon and the body of a centipede and is the largest of its kind in the world.

It took 28 craftsmen 48 days to design and complete the kite. Flying it required 55 people, said Zhang Huagang, general manager of Weifang Tianshun Kite Productions and one of the kite makers.

According to Zhang, the giant dragon kite, using traditional Chinese techniques, "refers to our nation's wishes for prosperity and fortune as this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China."

The kite festival, now in its 38th edition, opened on Friday in the presence of hundreds of amateurs and professionals, who flocked to the city from near and far to display their creations at the event.

This year's festival features a record 1,628 kites in various forms by 500 participants divided into 188 teams from over 31 provinces and regions from across the country.

The city, known as the kite capital of the world, also launched the "Kite Festival Online" this year, calling on more than 140 countries and regions to take part in the virtual event.

The festival will run through May 5.

(Video by Hong Yaobin. Cover: The Weifang International Kite Festival draws numerous visitors to Weifang, the birthplace of the kites in east China's Shandong Province, April, 17, 2021. /CFP)