Liaocheng acrobatics

Liaocheng acrobatics

Liaocheng acrobatics is a traditional folk acrobatics art in Shandong Province. Liaocheng is one of the birthplaces of Chinese acrobatics. In the late Neolithic period, Liaocheng was the main area where the Dongyi people lived. At that time, Chiyou, the leader of the Dongyi people, was said to be a master of acrobatics. Ancient acrobatics originated from Jiao Dai, or Chiyou Opera. Liaocheng acrobatics is now distributed in Donga, Chiping, Yanggu and other counties and their surrounding areas. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Acrobatic Circus in Liaocheng was initially developed and had basically matured in the Han Dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms Period, acrobatics circus was very popular in Donga area of Liaocheng, and became a form of performance with acrobatics as the main part and other skills. Cao Zhi, the king of Donga, once described this situation with the poem "cock fighting in the eastern suburbs, horse walking between catalpa trees". Historically, the Yellow River was flooded with disasters. Many farmers had to abandon agronomy in order to survive. Mengzhuang, Hezhuang and Zhang Darenji villages in Donga County were famous acrobatic villages.

On May 20, 2006, the heritage was approved by the State Council and listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.

Liaocheng acrobatics

Liaocheng is one of the birthplaces of Chinese acrobatics. In the late Neolithic period, Liaocheng was the main area for the activities of the Dongyi people. Chiyou, the leader of the Dongyi people at that time, was said to be a master of acrobatics. Ancient acrobatics originated from Jiao Dai, or Chiyou Opera. Liaocheng acrobatics is now distributed in Donga, Chiping, Yanggu and other counties and their surrounding areas.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Acrobatic Circus in Liaocheng was initially developed and had basically matured in the Han Dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms Period, acrobatics circus was very popular in Liaocheng's Donga area, and became a form of performance with acrobatics as the main part and other skills. Cao Zhi, the king of Donga, once described this situation with the poem "cock fighting in the eastern suburbs, horse walking between catalpa trees". Historically, the Yellow River was flooded with disasters. Many farmers had to abandon agronomy in order to survive. Mengzhuang, Hezhuang and Zhang Darenji villages in Donga County were famous acrobatic villages. In the early Republic of China, there were dozens of Acrobatic Circus troupes in Donga County alone. In addition, there are dozens of acrobatic troupes in Yanggu, Siping, Shenxian and Linqing. Some of them have performed in Korea, Japan and Singapore. In 1955, eight circuses were formally organized in Donga County. In 1970, Liaocheng Acrobatic Troupe was established.

Liaocheng acrobatics has a long history, with a large number of artists, and gradually formed a cultural system of acrobatics industry with Qilu characteristics. Liaocheng acrobatics mainly includes circus, magic and performance. It attaches great importance to waist and leg performance, highlights new, difficult, strange, beautiful and dangerous artistic style, simple, heroic and rugged, known as Qilu Yinghao, and is loved by the masses.

At present, although Liaocheng acrobatics has been vigorously explored and advocated, there is still a declining trend. This is mainly because with the improvement of living standards, acrobatics as a means of livelihood has become unattractive to today's young people, resulting in a serious succession of no one phenomenon. Some accomplished acrobats have gradually withdrawn from the stage because of their advanced age, and some have died one after another, making some stunts face the danger of losing their heritage.

In 1993, the Ministry of Culture approved the establishment of a Chinese juvenile acrobatics base in Liaocheng, and included it in the Dandelion Plan of the State Council. The Liaocheng government has established the Dandelion Acrobatic Art School in Liaocheng, relying on the Chinese Children's Acrobatic Base, to train the reserve talents of acrobatics. However, it is still far away from the scientific, three-dimensional, comprehensive and original ecological protection, and the consciousness and efforts of rescue and protection of intangible heritage need to be further strengthened.