Wau bulan (Kelantanese:Wa bule;Jawi:واو بولن; lit. 'moon kite') is an intricately designedMalaysiankite (normally with floral motifs) that is traditionally flown in theMalaysian state ofKelantan. It is one of Malaysia's national symbols, some others being thehibiscus. The reverse side of the fifty-cent coin of Malaysia (1989 series) features an intricately decoratedwau bulan with a hummer on top.[1] The logo ofMalaysia Airlines (MAS) is based on thewau kucing (lit. 'cat kite').
There are many types of wau in Malaysia, each with its own specialty.Wau kucing andwau merak (peacock kite) are some of the variants.
Thewau bulan is the subject of a populardikir barat song, 'Wau Bulan' (Kelantanese:E Wa Bule), which is widely associated withKelantan.
Wau bulan got its name from the crescent moon-like shape of its lower section (moon means "bulan" inMalaysian Malay). Given the right colour, wau bulan apparently resembles a rising crescent moon when flown.[2]
The size of wau bulan 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, wau bulan is normally decorated with large, strong-coloured patterns. Some of these are ‘Sobek’, one of the more common patterns.
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