China Wuqiao International Acrobatics
Festival is held in Shijiazhuang in November every other year, sponsored by the
Ministry of National Culture and the Government of Hebei Province. The festival
was named after Wuqiao County, which, with a long acrobatic history, is the
famous hometown of acrobatics in China.
China Wuqiao International Acrobatics
Festival is the largest one at the highest level in China. It has successfully
been held eight times since 1987 and the Gold Lion Prize awarded at the Wuqiao
Festival has become one of the coveted prizes in international
acrobatics.
The First China Wuqiao International
Acrobatic Festival was held in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei Province
from October 25 to November 1, 1987. Thirty programs from Australia, France, the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mexico, the former Soviet Union and the
People's Republic of China participated in the festival.
The Second Festival was held in Shijiazhuang
from November 1 to 7, 1989. A total of 31 programs were selected from Bulgaria,
Sweden, Thailand, Mongolia, Denmark, Poland, the former Soviet Union and the
People's Republic of China. In this festival, 2 programs won Golden Lion Prizes,
3 programs won Silver Lion Prizes, 6 programs won Bronze Lion Prizes, and 14
Programs won Excellent Performance.
In the Third Festival held from
October 15 to October 21,1991, twenty-eight items from Belgium, Canada, Cuba,
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, France, Mongolia, Sweden, the United
States, the Former Soviet Union, Hong Kong were staged in the
festival.
In the same season two years later, the
Fourth Festival was held, drawing 41 programs and 366 acrobatics performers from
the United States, Mexico, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Cuba, Kazakhstan, the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, France, Yugoslavia, Russia, Australia,
Sweden, Canada, Mongolia, Italy, Thailand, Belgium, Hungary, the People's
Republic of China and China's Taiwan. The Fourth Festival was more wonderful
than the former ones.
The Fifth Festival was held from October 28
to November 3, 1995 in Shijiazhuang. Twenty-seven competing acrobatic programs
and 4 specially invited performing programs by 290 actors from 14 countries and
regions performed in the festival. Twenty-three of all programs given by 173
actors were from Taipei of China and foreign countries. The Fifth Festival is
highly praised as "a brilliant international acrobatic competition". Of the 27
competing programs, 3 programs won the Golden Lion Prizes, 6 won the Silver Lion
Prizes and 9 won the Bronze Lion Prize through competition.
The Sixth Festival was held in Shijiazhuang
from November 1 to 7, 1997. Thirty-two programs elected from 17 countries and
regions including Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ukraine,
Canada, Belgium, Czech, Hungary and the People's Republic of China, etc.,
competed for the Golden Lion Prize.
The Seventh China Wuqiao International
Acrobatics Festival was held in the new building of Hebei Arts Center from
October 30 to November 8 in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei Province.
The purpose of the Seventh Festival was to develop the excellent traditional
culture of China, enhance the international exchange of acrobatics arts,
accelerate the flourish and development of acrobatics arts, enrich the cultural
activities of the people, serve for the construction of the two
civilizations.
The Eighth Festival drew 25 programs
from the United States, Russia, Canada, Sweden, Britain and so on. During the
festival, 2 programs won the Golden Lion Prizes, 4 won the Silver Lion Prizes
and 8 won the Bronze Lion Prize through
competition.