Taking off: Kites in the shape of snakes, tigers, fish, manta rays and even a crocodile among those seen flying over Bukit Layang-Layang during Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
25th edition of Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival in Johor attracts 109 international participants and 400,000 spectators over five days.
A DAZZLING array of kites of all sizes and shapes took flight over Bukit Layang-Layang in Pasir Gudang, Johor, entertaining thousands of people who gathered to watch the aerial display.
There were plenty of animal kites, including a crocodile, cats, manta rays, fish, cheetah and snakes, alongside those in the shape of a heart, strawberry, a scuba diver and even the monkey god Hanuman.
ALSO READ: Council takes lead role in organising kite festival
Part of the international kite festival circuit, the Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival featured 109 international participants from 40 countries for its 25th edition.
Parents flying kites with their children at the Bukit Layang-Layang field. Some 400,000 people attended the festival. — Photos: THOMAS YONG/The Star
The cycle of festivals began this year with the 42nd Satun Kite Festival in Thailand on Feb 17-19 before landing in Pasir Gudang on Feb 22-26, while the last stop on the circuit is the ongoing 3rd Kabong International Kite Festival in Sarawak, which ends on March 6.
Craig Harby, 51, a participant from the United Kingdom, was pleased to see the large crowd the event attracted as well as the improvements that had been made to the festival ground’s facilities.
“It is nice to return to Pasir Gudang and I am very happy to see the warm support and friendly smiles of the locals.
“This year, I brought my 40m-long scuba diver kite and four 33m snakes,” he said, adding that this was his 15th trip to the city.
Harby with his scuba diver kite at the festival in Pasir Gudang.
For New Zealander Malcolm Hubbert, 71, this was his seventh time at the kite festival and he showed off his 25m-long manta ray.
“I prefer to fly smaller kites as they are easier to fly and can be stacked on top of one another – there are four 12m rays on top of the main manta ray.
“As this is the first time the event was organised by the Malaysian Kite Flyers Council, participants are a bit more relaxed and have more free time, but I think there will always be room for improvement.
“The only challenge I had was travelling with my 66kg kite luggage as low-cost airlines would not take it to Senai International Airport, so I had to fly from Thailand to Singapore and take a taxi from the airport there to Pasir Gudang,” he said.
Antonio Lino, 61, from Portugal, suggested that the council look into better weather forecasting to ensure the best time to fly kites.
Lino says better weather forecasting needed to find the optimal time for kite flying.
“Usually after the changes in monsoon season, there will be a big shift in wind patterns, and that is why we can see the kites flying in the morning until the afternoon but then things slow down during the evening.
“On a perfect day, the wind should be able to push the kites from morning until night,” he said, adding that he had been flying kites for the last 25 years and was an avid participant of kite festivals in the Middle East and Europe.
Martina Plattje, 56, from the Netherlands, hopes to fill some of her free time by sightseeing around Pasir Gudang and Johor Baru.
“So far, I have only been to the hotel in Bandar Seri Alam and Bukit Layang-Layang, so it would be nice to be able to go around the city and experience the local culture.
“This is my first time here and I hope that I will be invited again next year,” she told StarMetro.
Plattje hopes to be invited back to the kite festival next year.
Sharing the same view was Jeah Wan Oh, 51, from South Korea, who said Pasir Gudang was his fifth kite festival destination.
“I hope to make time to tour Johor,” he said, adding that he wanted to get to know the locals a bit more.
Ukrainian Alex Shramko, 39, came to the festival with his brother Andrew, 40, and a 5m inflatable cat kite named “Lucky”.
“I like Pasir Gudang for its hot and windy weather.
Hubert prefers to fly smaller kites as they can be stacked on top of one another.
“This is my fifth time coming here and I am just enjoying my time here flying kites and making new friends,” he said.
On Feb 25, the festival made it into the Malaysia Book of Records when 25 international participants simultaneously flew traditional kites.
Some of the kites that took to the skies were the Wau Merak, Wau Kuching, Wau Bulan and Wau Jalabudi.
Among the kite flyers were enthusiasts from Australia, Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Portugal, Canada, Brunei, Ukraine and Indonesia.
The Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and it was scaled down to a national-level event last year due to border restrictions.
