Wau bulan

Wau bulan (Jawi: واو بولن) is an intricately designed Malaysian moon-kite (normally with floral motifs) that is traditionally flown in the Malaysian state of Kelantan.

It is one of Malaysia’s national symbols, some others being the hibiscus.

The reverse side of the fifty-cent coin of Malaysia (1989 series) features an intricately decorated WB with a hummer on top.

[1] The logo of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is based on the cat kite.

There are many types of kite in Malaysia, each with its own specialty.

Cat kite and Peacock kite are some of the variants.

Wau Bulan Characteristics

WB got its name from the crescent moon-like shape of its lower section (moon means “bulan” in Malaysian Malay).

Given the right colour, it apparently resembles a rising crescent moon when flown.[2]

The size is bigger than any other Malaysian traditional kite. The typical size is 2.5 meters in width and 3.5 meters in length.

[3] This makes the decorations painted on the kite’s body to be visible when it is flown high in the air.

To make it more distinctive, it is normally decorated with large, strong-coloured patterns.

A kite-maker’s workshop

A kite-maker in his workshop. Design details in his kite are made by cutting various layers of coloured paper. The cutting is done spontaneously.

A kite-maker’s workshop. Foreground: Kite frames. Background: A completed kite. Further background: The kite-maker.

Example of other types of wau. They are differentiated by the shape of the bottom wing.