Kites have been dual purpose since the beginning of kites. It was considered fact for hundreds of years that kites originated in China. It was thought that Marco Polo saw kites when he was in China, brought some back and wrote about them in his journal. It was thought that kites populated the world via the trade routes.

The oldest kites the world currently has come from China, or so we thought. It was easy to see why and how most people thought the kite originated there. We now understand that due to paper and silk being developed in China, combined with a preservational instinct, and reverence to ceremonial hierarchy. The oldest and best preserved kites are in China.

Today most scholars and people of reason believe kites developed around the world based on need and available materials.

The South Pacific used kites for fishing and pulling canoes from island to island. The world’s aboriginals used leaves, bamboo, and banana fibers to make fabulous, working kites. When the kites broke or were unable to function properly, they were discarded and left to decompose, while a new kite was made.

Kites went on to play a significant role in the industrial revolution and continue to contribute to science to this day.