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Acrobatics
As early as in the Spring and
Autumn Period, the art of acrobatics made its debut in China. The
first type of acrobatics developed was strength acrobatics, with
warriors whirling heavy wheels with their hands. In the Han Dynasty,
acrobatic shows became important amusements frequently enjoyed at
palace banquets as well as celebrations of the common people.
Ancient acrobatics was handed
down from generation to generation. Performances include such well-known
ones as ??Jumping Through Hoops,?? ??Diabolos,?? ??Tightrope Walking,??
??Juggling with the Feet,?? ??Juggling with the Flower Jar,?? ??Plate
Spinning,?? and ??A Pagoda of Bowls.?? After the founding of the PRC
in 1949, acrobatics developed rapidly, with the encouragement of
the Chinese government. Now, there are nearly 100 acrobatic troupes
above the county level, and thousands of non-governmental acrobatic
troupes. A large contingent of professional and part-time acrobats
has come into being. China has sent hundreds of acrobatic troupes
abroad to perform in over 100 countries and regions. From 1981 to
1997, China won gold prizes on 35 occasions, such as the ??Prize
of the President of the Republic of France,?? and the top prize at
the ??Tomorrow and the Future?? International Acrobatic Festival held
in France. So far, China has won 85 gold prizes at international
acrobatic contests. The superb skills of Chinese acrobats have been
praised by people all over the world, and China has been recognized
as the leading country in the acrobatics field.
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In
Jan. 2000, on the 3rd International Acrobatics Festival held in
Budapest, the 9-year-old Chinese acrobat Zhang Fayi won the golden
award. In the picture, Zhang is performing "Balancing
on a Cable".
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| There are many places
in China where acrobatics is a local specialty, such as Liaocheng
in Shandong Province, Yancheng in Jiangsu Province, Puyang in Henan
Province, Tianmen in Hubei Province, Guangde in Anhui Province and
Wuqing near Tianjin. In particular, Wuqiao in Hebei Province has gained
a shining reputation both at home and abroad. Since 1987, the China
Wuqiao International Acrobatics Festival has been held once every
two years. |
