Bali Kite Festival 2008
The annual tradition of the Bali Kite Festival will return to the beaches of Sanur at Padang Galak July 10-13, 2008, where the ecvent is expected to draw some 800 teams competing for honor. As in the past, large teams of young men from local villages across Bali - all dressed in traditional Balinese costumes, will launch kites so large and elaborate that two lanes of traffic are sometimes blocked when transporting the kites to and from the competition grounds.
Eleven countries are taking part in the 30th Bali Kite Festival, which kicked off on Friday at Denpasar’s Padanggalak Square and will run for three days.
Participants come from as far afield as Australia, Russia, Taiwan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Germany, the United States, Japan, India and China.
All participants are required to attend a mandatory briefing on July 6th during which rules and guidelines will be distributed to all teams. A very Balinese affair, teams are required to wear traditional dress while competing in the Festival.
Overseas participants are taking part in the “Stone Kites” exhibition class, said I Gusti Putu Rai Andayana, chairman of the festival.
A total of 151 stone kites will flown during the festival, he added.
It is expected that the festival will attract hundreds of teams to compete their kites during the four days festival. The teams that consist of a group of young men completed with gong kebyar (traditional marching gamelan orchestra) will take part of the festival along with their traditional costumes.
admin @ July 15, 2008