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- Twin 13-year-old brothers Su Liang
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- Animal trainer Guo Shutong shows the skills
Acrobatic art has a wide mass foundation in Wuqiao, and almost each village has acrobats. Wuqiao county is regarded as the hometown of acrobatics in China, and the acrobatics cradle of the world.
Its fame is drawing an increasing number of tourists every year. For it is in Wuqiao that visitors can witness the superb display of both modern and traditional acrobatic skill.
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.
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. When Premier Zhou Enlai visited European countries, he found Wuqiao acrobats nearly each time he met with overseas Chinese. He said happily, Wuqiao is really worth the title of ‘home of Chinese acrobatics’.
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