China may also be the birthplace of kites since the earliest written records are from China. The famous General Han Hsin used a kite to defeat an evil emperor and establish the Western Han Dynasty in 206 B.C. One version of the legend says that he flew a kite over the walls of the well-fortified palace. Carefully he marked the line and reeled in the kite. His small band of soldiers dug a tunnel into the courtyard of the palace using the kite line to measure the distance. The General and his forces surprised the enemy and the kite entered recorded history.
Another version of this story says that General Han Hsin, being a small man, had his troops tie him to a kite and fly him over the enemy camp at night. Most of the enemy soldiers were startled by the strange object flying overhead commanding them, in a loud voice, to return to their families. Most of the enemy fled and the General and his forces defeated those who remained.
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