Wuqiao Acrobatics
Chinese acrobatics has a very long history and is an excellent and precious cultural legacy of the Chinese nation. There are a lot of acrobatics village in China, e.g. Liaocheng of Shandong Province, Yancheng of Jiangsu Province, Puyang of Henan Province, Tianmen of Hubei Province, Guangde of Anhui Province, Wuqing of Tianjin, and Wuqiao, Suning and Bazhou of Hebei Province. However, as to the history and the influence at home and abroad, Wuqiao is the most famous.
Wuqiao County is internationally recognized as the birthplace of Chinese acrobatics. Its fame is drawing an increasing number of visitors, who come for the superb display of both modern and traditional acrobatic skill. The History of Wuqiao County records that lamps lighted up the whole county of Wuqiao for three days during festivals, people set off firecrackers and performed acrobatics, and the local feudal officials did not practice curfew in the period.
The tomb murals of the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550) in the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period (386-581) unearthed from Xiaomachang Village of Wuqiao County in 1958 depict the performances of handstands, plate spinning, deft horsemanship and so on. However, it was after the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) that acrobatics of Wuqiao gained much reputation. Before that, acrobatics in Henan Province was much influential. After the Yuan Dynasty was established, the capital was moved from Kaifeng of Henan to Beijing, and the acrobatics in Wuqiao of Hebei, which neighbors Beijing, began to prosper and was increasingly influential. The county has now become the home of Chinese acrobatics.
Located at the southeast tip of Hebei Province, Wuqiao County has a population of 270,000. Acrobatic art has a wide mass foundation here, and almost each village has acrobats.
People in Wuqiao today, young or old, often possess astonishing acrobatic ability. It is no wonder that the county has produced many of the most famous acrobats. Wuqiao performers can be found in acrobatic troupes throughout China and across the world.
Through 2,000 years of accumulated training, they have formed diversified and exquisite techniques. There are seven Wuqiao acrobatic performance categories, with 486 repertoires which combine acrobatics, dance and martial arts.
The China Wuqiao International Acrobatics Festival has become an acrobatics gala for both domestic and international troupes, pits troupes against each other in performing Diabolo, Flying Hats and Pagoda of Bowls, all a superb display of both modern and traditional acrobatic skills that is sure to entertain all visitors.
