Kites are also called paper kites. The predecessor of paper kite is wooden kite, which is actually an early aircraft made by the ancients. Unfortunately, this skill has long been lost, and there are only recorded fragments in ancient books. Some people think that Lu Ban invented kites during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. According to historical records, a wooden kite that looks like a disaster can fly in the sky for three days. If wooden kites are regarded as the earliest kites in China, then Luban was the first craftsman to make kites. But according to historical records, some people think that the first kite in the world was made by Mozi.
Many people have pointed out that wooden kites and kites are not the same thing. A wooden kite is a bird-shaped aircraft made of wood, which glides forward, while a kite is an aircraft powered by paper paste. The real inventor of kites is Han Xin. Because it has been recorded in the history books, Han Xin led an army to surround the Chu army, drove out a paper kite day and night, and sent a light young man to sit on it, quietly flying over the Chu Palace, singing sad songs of Chu, distracting the morale of the Chu army. Although this record may have exaggerated elements, the title of kite has been officially used, indicating that paper kites had appeared at that time.
Some people also doubt Han Xin's claim that kites were invented, because the paper kites used by Han Xin recorded in ancient books did not mention the key problem of pulling with ropes. The kites made by Ye Li in the Five Dynasties are real kites. However, postponing the invention of kites to the Five Dynasties is not quite in line with the facts, because as early as the Liang Xiao period in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, kites were recorded for military use. This time is 549 AD, four centuries earlier than Ye Li.