Nurturing International Friendship Through Kites

The wind sweeping through the mountains of the Tepas Papandayan area in Garut Regency was cheerfully welcomed by participants of the International Kite Festival 2026. That wind served as the ‘fuel’ for festival participants to fly their kites. Thanks to the wind, dozens of kites in various shapes flown by participants from several Indonesian provinces and 12 countries across Asia and Europe danced in the sky. The kites adorned the blue sky over the hilly area of Karamatwangi Village, Cisurupan District, from 29 July to 2 August. Spectators occasionally cheered with joy when a unique, large kite managed to soar perfectly in the air. The sky was filled with dragons, various wayang figures, cartoon characters, and traditional kites. The atmosphere of kite flying presented a beautiful scene, full of friendship, togetherness without barriers, and a shared spirit to fly kites in the sky of the Garut mountains. Flyers from Indonesia gathered with those from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, China, South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Belgium, and France, each bringing their best kites and unique stories from their homelands. The kite strings stretching into the sky seemed to connect many nations in one shared space, the blue sky above the motherland. The presence of people from various countries appeared to erase boundaries and differences in language, skin colour, and origin. What remained was human creativity and a spirit of friendship, as expressed by the President of the Malaysian Kite Flyers Council, A Rahim Nin. He attended with ten flyers brought from his country to mingle in the warmth of friendship under the Garut sky. For A Rahim Nin, kite flying is not merely a hobby of launching various creations. There are other values to convey, namely strengthening brotherhood with people from different countries and cultures. ‘Kite flying is not just a hobby. It can strengthen culture, and we can meet and fly kites under one sky. We can interact between countries,’ he said. He also expressed admiration for the natural beauty and cool air of the Garut mountains, noting that the warm welcome from the local community made visitors feel safe, comfortable, and happy in the tranquil surroundings.