Zhongfan, the millennium-old acrobatic art form with a young inheritor

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Zhongfan, or flagpole balancing, is one of the oldest acrobatics skills in China. Han Jiacheng, a 15-year-old boy from Cangzhou has to have nerves of steel to overcome the many difficulties faced during training. Lifting, balancing and throwing bamboo poles that weigh more than 5 kilograms, a performer has to use their hands, back, jaw and even their forehead to perform these complex stunts. The huge flags on the poles are decorated with patterns of clouds and dragons that hold auspicious meaning. With evidence suggesting that this acrobatic art form can be traced back more than a thousand years, Zhongfan now has a new generation of inheritors.

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15:17, 25-Apr-2025