The making skills of Shazhou Shaokou board-type kites are a traditional skill item in the third batch of representative items of Suzhou's municipal intangible cultural heritage. Kites, called harriers in ancient times and kites in the north, are a traditional folk handicraft. The earliest kites in China were made of wood. It was not until Cai Lun invented papermaking in the Eastern Han Dynasty that people began to make kites with paper, which were called paper kites. The Shazhou Shaokou board-type kites are kites that can make pleasant sounds in the air, and they occupy a unique position in the country. Zhangjiagang City was formerly known as Shazhou County. Zhangjiagang Leyu Town, located on the Yangtze River coastline, is a sandbar formed by the silt flowing down the river and the counter-thrust of the East China Sea tide. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, immigrants from all over the country began to reclaim land and settle here. In addition to their hard work, they supplemented their life by flying kites and listening to kite sounds. In recent decades, as people's lives have become increasingly affluent, people have paid more and more attention to current affairs, artistry and fun in making kites. In 1999, Cen Guolong made a super-large kite with 1999 whistles spelling out the words "Welcome the Return of Macao". In 2004, the kite delegation of Leyu Town participated in the Shandong Weifang International Kite Festival. Shen Cailin's whistle-shaped board kite was the only kite at the meeting that could make pleasant sounds in the air, and was highly praised by national judges. According to statistics, there are more than 1,000 Shazhou whistle-shaped board kites at present. Every spring and autumn, kites from various families are launched into the sky. Shazhou whistle-shaped board kites have different names according to the changes in their shapes. The ones currently circulating among the people include "Nine Strings of Watermelons", "Seven Stars", "Eight Anise", "Six Anise", etc. The characteristic of Shazhou whistle-shaped board kites is that the kites are decorated with various whistles of different shapes and scales. According to different materials, there are "silkworm cocoon whistle", "longan whistle", "bamboo tube whistle", "walnut whistle", and "gourd whistle". The different whistles are called "pan flute whistle", "dazi whistle" and "buzzing whistle" because of their different timbres and scales. The production of kites consists of three steps: making the surface and body, carving the whistle and assembling it. The Shazhou whistle board-type kites are unique in shape and exquisitely made. They are a comprehensive art form that combines the traditional handicrafts of carpenters, bamboo craftsmen, carvers, lacquer craftsmen and tailors with the modern art of fine arts, painting, musical instruments and vocal music. The Shazhou whistle board-type kites are famous for their large size, heavy weight and loud sound. They can rise hundreds of meters high without falling, and at the same time they can make wonderful sounds in the air, bringing physical and mental pleasure and spiritual enjoyment to people. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)