Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking) is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. Acrobatics involves difficult feats of balance, agility and coordination. Nearly any performance or sport which involves full-body activity—especially in short, highly controll

The Yangko dance is a traditional folk dance of the Han Chinese commonly performed in the northern provinces. Yangko dancers usually wear bright and colourful costumes, and their movements are vigorous and quick. During holidays such as lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival, as soon as people hear

Bian Lian (lit. "Face-Changing") is an ancient Chinese dramatic art that is part of the more general Sichuan opera. Performers wear brightly colored costumes and move to quick, dramatic music. Their faces are vividly colored, for they are wearing masks. However, within seconds, these masks

The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance, is a must when you visit Xian. The city, which was formerly known as Chang'an has a very long history, and was the imperial capital during 13 dynastic periods. Of these, the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) was th

The shadow show or leather silhouette play is a type of drama which has its roots in China.

Legend has it that Emperor Wudi (156-87 B.C.) of the Western Han was depressed with the death of his favourite concubine Lady Li. To help him get over the sadness, an occultist sculptured a wooden figure in th

Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese martial arts. However the Chinese terms kung fu (pinyin: gōngfū) and wushu (pinyin: wǔshù) have very different meanings. Wushu can describe greatly varying martial arts traditions. Kung fu can be used in a context wi

The Puppet Show (kuileixi) is better known as mu'ouxi (play of wooden dolls), in the country, which has its roots in remote times. It is said that King Mu of the Zhou (c.10th century B.C.) of oral history, on his way home from a big hunt on the Kunlun Mountain, saw a choral dance performed by Yanshi

An area of 2 kms along Lijiang River and 12 peaks as stage setting, tighter with boundless sky, compose the Shanshui Theatre with mountains and rivers the largest natural theatre in the world. In this masterpiece of the creator, a brand-new performance on the natural stage setting of Guilin scenery

Beijing opera or Peking opera (pinyin: Jīngjù) is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in t

IN May 2001, UNESCO for the first time awarded the title of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" to 19 outstanding cultural forms of expression from different regions of the world. Kunqu Opera, a school of traditional Chinese opera, was among them. It is the only

Huangmei Opera was formed in the 18th century, when Chinese local operas were flourishing. Originally it was a combination of local folk songs, dances and some widely spread ancient operas. Bordering on Anhui Province, Huangmei in Hubei is a county famous for its tea and tea-picking songs, from whic

Yue Opera, originated in the area of Sheng County in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province in the early period of the century, is a rapidly developed local opera with a short history in China. It was named "Yue Opera" because it has its origin in part of Yue State in the Spring and Autumn Period dat

Tai chi chuan is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced for health reasons. Tai chi is typically practiced for a variety of reasons: its soft martial techniques, demonstration competitions, health and longevity. Consequently, a multitude of training forms exist, both traditional and modern,