Acrobatics leads to worldwide renown for Henan county

Artists perform during the 11th China Acrobatics Golden Chrysanthemum Awards Competition held in Puyang, central China's Henan Province, Nov. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

ZHENGZHOU, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Qiao Jinsheng, a 78-year-old acrobat in Puyang City of central China's Henan Province, never thought that the acrobatic skills he inherited from older generations would one day develop from countryside sideshows to great art on the world stage.

Puyang is dubbed the cradle of traditional Chinese acrobatics. Now, Puyang acrobatics in Dongbeizhuang Village is on China's intangible cultural heritage protection list.

From Nov. 8 to 13, 2022, the fifth China Acrobatic Arts Festival was held in Puyang, during which the 11th China Acrobatics Golden Chrysanthemum Awards Competition showcased the latest achievements of national acrobatic creativity.

Qiao belongs to Puyang's most renowned acrobatic troupe. He is the troupe's sixth-generation inheritor and Dongbeizhuang Village's oldest performer.

He began to learn acrobatics when he was only five years old and has since the age of 8 performed all over the country as a member of the troupe. Qiao became an acrobatics coach when he was 24 and has coached more than 1,200 students from the village.

Among his students, over 60 have entered various acrobatic groups, helping to expose the art to a wider audience.

Puyang has a centuries-long history of performing this thrilling art -- the art began there during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) and thrived during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

At first, acrobatics was merely seen as interesting body exercises done in the crop fields during the slack season. People would use commonplace straw hats and farm tools for playful juggling. Later, their skills improved and developed into signature acrobatics with strong local characteristics of rural China.

Artists perform during the 11th China Acrobatics Golden Chrysanthemum Awards Competition held in Puyang, central China's Henan Province, Nov. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Jiayi)

Zhang Xiaomeng, a 23-year-old acrobat in Puyang, started to learn acrobatics at the age of 10. Two years ago, the young artist was invited to perform in shows abroad.

"I was a little nervous at first, but warm applause during my performance gradually made me more confident. I felt so proud when foreign friends welcomed and appreciated our acrobatics," Zhang recalled.

During the just-concluded acrobatic competition, Zhang's troupe showed breathtaking acrobatic feats, including juggling and rotating in mid-air about ten meters above a 16-meter-long "swing bridge" set up on the stage.

Puyang acrobatics is evolving thanks to not only young blood like Zhang, but also the influence of other extreme sports and fine art including drama, gymnastics, diving, and magic shows.

At present, Puyang has nearly 30,000 registered acrobatic practitioners and more than 50 local acrobatic troupes, whose performance markets include over 30 countries and regions.

"Puyang is a veritable acrobatics capital. Acrobatics has led the local culture industry and become its calling card on the global stage," said Tang Yanhai, Party secretary of the China Acrobats Association.