The 42nd Weifang International Kite Festival, an annual kite gala, opened on Saturday in Weifang City, east China's Shandong Province.
At the kite flying field, an array of colorful kites in various forms dots the sky, offering a visual feast to viewers.
This year's festival features an expanded lineup of 56 events, including kite competitions, cultural exhibitions, sports tournaments, tourism promotions, and business exchanges.
A total of 257 teams from 51 countries and regions will participate in the kite-flying competitions.
Known as the "kite capital of the world," Weifang is the birthplace of kites and famous for its long history of kite-making and features exquisite craftsmanship.
It has been home to the Weifang International Kite Festival since 1984.
42nd Weifang Int'l Kite Festival opens
China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.
The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.
According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.
In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.
China's aggregate social financing maintains high growth in 2025
