Xinhua Headlines: How small county in north China becomes magnet for global acrobats

* The China Wuqiao International Circus Festival is one of the world's three major acrobatic competitions, alongside the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo in Monaco and the World Circus Festival of Tomorrow in Paris.

* While preserving its traditional art, Wuqiao is also leveraging its unique cultural legacy to spur economic growth and improve residents' quality of life.

* Wuqiao has been building cultural bridges through international acrobatic exchange. Since 2002, the Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School has trained more than 1,000 international students from over 30 countries and regions.

SHIJIAZHUANG, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Beneath the bright theater lights, four Tanzanian acrobats captivated the audience with breathtaking acts that seemed to defy gravity, building human pyramids atop planks balanced on rolling cylinders.

This performance was one of the highlights of the 20th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival. Founded in 1987, the biennial festival is one of the world's three major acrobatic competitions, alongside the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo in Monaco and the World Circus Festival of Tomorrow in Paris.

Wuqiao County in north China's Hebei Province, is renowned as the "cradle of Chinese acrobatics." During the six-day festival running from last Sunday to Friday, outstanding performers from 19 countries and regions gathered in Wuqiao and presented 28 dazzling acts.

Since its establishment, the China Wuqiao International Circus Festival had been held in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, due to a lack of adequate infrastructure in its home county. This year, thanks to Wuqiao's economic growth and infrastructural construction, the festival's main events made their homecoming.

A GLOBAL STAGE

Wuqiao has developed a rich acrobatic tradition with a history spanning more than two millennia. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), urban culture further propelled the popularity of acrobatics.

Located along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, with a history of more than 2,500 years, acrobats in Wuqiao could travel across different regions via the world's longest artificial waterway, showing their skills in street performances and spreading this traditional art far and wide.

In modern times, thousands of acrobats from Wuqiao have toured around the globe, influencing international performers with their distinctive techniques.

"In the past, acrobats of the older generation often had no fixed performance space. But now we move onto the stage and focus more on artistic innovation and theatrical presentation," said Zhou Ai, a 38-year-old acrobat, who has engaged in planning acrobatic stage shows since 2020.

Zhou said that a high-quality show involves more than stunts, it requires the thoughtful integration of sound, lighting, dance and other elements.

In 2006, Wuqiao acrobatics was listed as a form of intangible cultural heritage at the state level.

Today, competing in the China Wuqiao International Circus Festival remains highly attractive to acrobats worldwide.

"I feel like I'm taking part in a mini-Olympics. The supporting facilities here are excellent," said Anastasia Ovcharenko, a Russian acrobat from the Great Moscow State Circus.

"The festival is a big thing for every acrobatic artist around the world, and I'm really happy to join in," said Mohamed Tadei Mohamed, a 35-year-old acrobat from Tanzania, who visited China for the first time. "It's not just about the competitions but about the good times I'm having here. After the festival, I hope to see more of China."

AN ECONOMIC BOOSTER

While preserving its traditional art, Wuqiao is also leveraging its unique cultural legacy to spur economic growth and improve residents' quality of life. Tourism stands out as one of its most successful initiatives.

At Wuqiao Acrobatics World, visitors can enjoy both traditional folk acts and modern stage performances. Dressed in classic Chinese costumes, performers fascinate the crowd with incredible virtuosity, from climbing ladders made of sharp blades to juggling heavy jars with their feet.

"We aim to recreate the historical settings where acrobats once performed and immerse guests in diverse acrobatic arts," said Zhang Ling, a tour guide manager at the park.

Integrating acrobatics into tourism has generated employment and raised visibility of the art. In the first eight months of this year, the park welcomed 620,000 visits, up 23 percent year on year. It currently employs more than 300 staff and supports nearly 10,000 additional jobs in hospitality, transportation and related sectors within neighboring communities.

Beyond tourism, local acrobatics industrial chain is also expanding. Zhou Wenming, head of Wuqiao Fengyao Acrobatic and Magic Prop Co., Ltd., recognized the importance of prop innovation to the art's evolution and founded the company to focus on designing and manufacturing performance props.

"By using advanced materials, we can create props that reduce physical strain on performers and enhance their stage presence," he explained. The firm has developed more than 2,000 types of products and exported them to over 20 countries and regions.

"I hope our props will help elevate the global profile of Wuqiao acrobatics and spread Chinese culture worldwide."

A CULTURAL BRIDGE

Long before Zhou's props gained international reach, Wuqiao's acrobats had already established a strong presence in global exchanges. Today, the county continues to attract performers from around the world to come to hone their skills together.

In early September, 34-year-old Laotian acrobat Yang Houngpasith arrived at Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School for a two-month training program. She was joined by 26 other trainees from countries including Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Laos.

Having trained in China five times before, she recalled her first visit to Wuqiao, speaking in Mandarin: "I received professional and systematic training from Chinese instructors here, and their emphasis on basic skills left a lasting impression on me."

This time, Yang returned with a new role. Now an acrobatics coach in Laos, she brought her students along, hoping they would improve just as she once did.

Yang is not the only one maintaining close ties with China. Eric Musyoka, a Kenyan acrobat who trained in Wuqiao last year, also chose to return. The 26-year-old believes the training program's value goes beyond acrobatics. "It's amazing to meet people from different countries and learn new things through cultural exchanges."

Since 2002, the school has trained more than 1,000 international students from over 30 countries and regions, according to its vice principal Wang Yang. He added that these students have become cultural ambassadors linking China with the rest of the world.

The Chinese character "qiao" means "bridge." True to its name, which contains the Chinese character "qiao," Wuqiao has been building cultural bridges through international acrobatic exchange.

"Acrobatics is an 'international language' that connects people through movements, beauty and the joy of human achievements," said Maria Teresa, a member of the festival jury. "The Wuqiao festival itself has been a wonderful bridge."

(Video reporter: Qu Lanjuan; video editors: Yang Zeyi and Zhu Cong)■