The Chaoyang Theater in Beijing

For tourists visiting Beijing, one of the most entertaining and interesting sights that you can see is the Flying Acrobats show.

Getting ready for the show.

After you get your munch on at the Wangfujing Night Market (see Steve’s last post), head on over to the Chaoyang Theater (朝阳剧场 – chāo yáng jù chǎng). With two performances every night (5:15-6:25 and 7:15-8:25), this stunning show attracts a crowd every time, and with good reason. It is believed that Chinese acrobatics (杂技 – zá jì) began during the Warring States Period (战国时期 – zhàn guó shí qí) (475-221 BC). Later on, during the Han Dynasty (汉代 – hàn dài) (221 BC-220 AD), the art of Chinese acrobatics advanced, with such daring stunts as fire eating, tight rope walking, and knife swallowing. Then, during the Tang Dynasty (唐代 – táng dài) (618-907), the elite and ruling classes took a liking to acrobatics. Finally, by the Song Dynasty (宋代 – sòng dài) (960-1279), opera had replaced acrobatics as the entertainment of choice for the elites, and it became very popular amongst regular folks.

These days, tourists from all over the world flock to the Chaoyang Theater to enjoy the nightly shows, which feature incredibly talented and daring performers. Children are selected to perform in acrobatics from a young age, and they go through rigorous training to gain the strength, flexibility, and balance that are necessary to be a successful acrobat. In case you are too far away from Beijing to enjoy the show yourself, here are some pictures to give you a rough idea of what the show is like.

Guy with a bird immersed in lazers at the start of the show.

Incredible display of balance.

These guys make it look easy.

Running around in deuling hamster wheels.

Girls balancing on each other while balancing multiple plates on sticks.

Absolutely amazing.

So fast you can barely see him.

The grand finale - about 14 girls on one bicycle.

The performers take a bow at the end.