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Home , Hebei, Wuqiao County

CHINA DAILY MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012 hebeispecial 7 flies high on acrobatics

By Liu Xiang in Wuqiao, province [email protected] 2,000 Wuqiao county in North year ’s Hebei province is history of acrobatics considered the birthplace of Chinese acrobatics due to a history of aerial virtuosity that stretches back more than 280k 2,000 years. population Even today its residents, no in Wuqiao county matter young or old, can often stun tourists with their aston- ishing acrobatic skills. Murals in an ancient tomb 37 in the county estimated to be more than 1,400 years old troupes depict scenes of handstands from the county perform in and horsemanship. acrobatics shows In villages, fields or court- yards in the small county of 280,000 people, acrobatic stunts are seemingly every- 200 where. Daily household or performers farming tools at hand are often from home and abroad used in performances. take part in the Wuqiao circus There are more than 2,000 festival professional acrobats working in 37 State-owned and private troupes in Wuqiao. acrobats from 17 countries In some acrobat families, and regions were selected toddlers only 2 years old have from 60 renowned circuses in already started receiving acro- the world to take part in the batic training. event in Wuqiao last year. Liu Xiang / China daily In recognition of the influ- Acrobatic troupes from Entry to the mausoleum of the in Hebei province, part of a complex that is considered the best preserved of all tombs in China. ence and wide appeal for acro- Wuqiao now make regular batics in Wuqiao, the Ministry tours of more than 60 coun- of Culture officially named the tries and regions in the world, county “home of acrobatics” especially Europe and the in November 1996. United States. The large, high-standard, They have brought wealth Imperial opulence lives China Wuqiao International and fame to Wuqiao. Last year, Circus Festival held every two the county’s acrobats gener- years has earned international ated $18 million from per- fame for the small county. formances abroad, forming a It is now considered one core industry that drives the on at Qing tomb complex of the three most influential county’s economic growth. acrobatic competitions in the They also perform at the world along with the Monte- 200-hectare Wuqiao Acro- By XU Indeed, the location’s feng fourth emperor of the Qing The Qianlong Emperor command of Sun Carlo International Circus batics World, a theme park in , Hebei province sui is considered among the Dynasty — may be the most selected the site for his mau- Dianying. Precious burial Festival in Monaco and the unique in the country that [email protected] very best. The mausoleum splendid of all royal tombs in soleum in 1742 and construc- objects like jewelry and man- Festival Mondial du Cirque de showcases their skills. complex is embraced by five Chinese history. tion began in the following uscripts were ransacked. Demain — the World Festival Now a hotspot that draws The Egyptian pyramids and major mountains, with two Documents from the era year. Although completed in The memoir of a looter said of the Circus of Tomorrow — increasing numbers of tour- tombs of its ancient pharaohs rivers flowing to both east and record that the tomb, which 1752, it was expanded further that when the Empress Dow- in France. ists, the park also offers magic are renowned over the world, west like belts of jade. is called Yuling, had the finest in the years between 1755 and ager’s coffin was opened and More than 200 top-notch and comedy shows. but few outside China are When Emperor Shunzhi tomb chamber comprised of 1762, when a square, memo- a legendary luminous pearl familiar with the Eastern Roy- (1638-1661), the first emper- a series of nine vaults sepa- rial tower, citadel and two side was taken from her lips it was al Tombs of the or of the Qing Dynasty, went rated by four solid marble halls were built. so bright that it outshined the (1644-1911), the largest, most hunting in the area, he was doors located at a depth of Called Ding Dongling, torches held by troops. complete and best-preserved deeply impressed at the natu- 54 meters. the tomb of Empress Dowa- What happened to the fab- extant mausoleum complex ral beauty and harmonious Beginning at the first ger Cixi stands out for its ulous relics remains a mys- in China. surroundings. He decreed entryway, all walls, vaulted extremely luxurious decora- tery. The site, located in Zun- that his imperial mausoleum ceilings and gates are covered tions. Its Long’en Hall along Today in the underground hua county in Hebei prov- would be built there. with images of Buddhist cos- with eastern and western side palaces, the coffins of the ince’s Tangshan city, is only Records show that five mology — its four heavenly halls is made from valuable Emperor Qianlong and the 125 kilometers northeast of emperors (Shunzhi, Kangxi, kings, eight and red timber. Empress Dowager are open . Qianlong, Xianfeng, and 24 Buddhas as well as ritual All three halls are decorat- to public view. Although few Most of Tangshan was Tongzhi), 15 empresses, a instruments and more than ed with gold-glazed colored burial objects are left, the destroyed by a magnitude dowager empress, 136 impe- 30,000 words from Tibetan painting, gilded dragons and well-preserved architecture 7.6 earthquake in 1976 that rial concubines, three princes scripture and Sanskrit. carved stone rails. still reminds visitors of the caused the largest loss of life and two princesses of the The three-ton doors them- Everywhere there are imperial past. from a quake in the 20th cen- Qing Dynasty are buried at selves have fine reliefs of bod- reminders of the Forbidden The mausoleum palaces tury, but the tomb complex the complex. hisattvas — beings on the City, such as the terrace-cor- amid the looming mountains was largely unscathed. All imperial mausoleums at road to enlightenment — and ner spouts carved as water- and surrounding greenery are There are many explana- the site follow a pattern estab- four protective kings usually loving dragons. The interior peaceful and solemn places, tions for the mystery — lished by the Xiaoling mauso- found at temple entrances. has motifs strikingly painted reminding visitors that unlike including ancient architectur- leum for Emperor Shunzhi. After hundreds of years, in gold on dark wood, recall- the built for al techniques and outstanding The basic layout has three sec- each bead on the strings held ing the buildings where Cixi living emperors, its is a place feng shui — but the undis- tions: spirit way, palaces and by the bodhisattvas can still spent her last years. for the imperial dead, who in puted fact is its structures offering kitchens. be clearly counted. Toes and The Yuling and Ding some ways remain powerful Liu Xiang / China daily remained standing while oth- The tomb of the Qianlong fingers are delicately and viv- Dongling mausoleums were and extravagant, if only in the Acrobatic virtuosity at the China Wuqiao International Circus ers nearby collapsed. Emperor (1711-1799) — the idly sculpted. looted by troops under the imagination of visitors. Festival, considered one of the top three of its kind in the world. Beachside Beidaihe: Alluring for more than a century

By XU xiao the United States and Great departments invite university in , Hebei province Britain to France, Japan, Rus- students majoring in arts to [email protected] sia, Italy, Belgium, Greece, 719 sketch nature in Beidaihe. Austria, Canada, Denmark, villas With scenic spots open, free Today a favorite vacation Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, in 1948 of charge to them, the coastal destination for Chinese offi- Norway, Poland, India and resort has become a creative cials and citizens alike, beach- South Korea. center for students from sev- side Beidaihe was a small Although the villas were eral renowned fishing village when English built in various styles due to universities. railway engineers provided the different cultures of their 10 It is also a popular destina- a getaway in the 1890s from owners, they share the same km long tion for wedding photos as sweltering summertime Tian- lifestyle of comfort, grace, per- beach well as a locale for commer- . sonality and harmony with the cial films. Wealthy Chinese and for- nature. said the focuses eign diplomats built villas and Few of the villas are open to dancing schools, to perform on cultural details. For exam- the locale in Hebei province public, but many visitors still in Beidaihe. ple, almost every single sign- eventually became Western- take pleasure in walking by to Of course it also includes post and rubbish bin is deli- ized like only a handful of get a glimpse of the enviable leisure, comfortable clothes, cately designed by art school other places in China at that setting. the warm beach and the sea. students and has languages in time. But even without a villa, Autumn belongs to fash- Chinese, English and Russian. By November 1948, when tourists still find Beidaihe ion, with many stylish events In 2009, construction Chinese People’s Liberation charming. including a modeling compe- began on transforming the Army arrived at Beidaihe, the Beidaihe’s 100-meter-wide provided to China daily tition and a lovers’ carnival. streets into a European style. resort had 719 villas covering beach stretches for 10 kilome- European-style villas were built as Westerners began to arrive in the 1890s. Wintertime is a soothing Beidaihe attracts many visi- a combined 295,700 square ters of fine yellow sand. Shal- slow pace when the snowy set- tors from both home and meters. low water is good for swim- department of Beidaihe dis- In spring, the theme is The summer topic is ting provides the opportunity abroad. In peak seasons from Some 483 of the villas were ming, soaking and resting. trict, the authorities have now sports. A national cycling race “romance.” The local gov- for writing and other creative July to September, it is even owned by foreigners whose According to Lu Guo- begun to promote tourism in and triathlon competition are ernment departments invite work. hard to book a single room nationalities ranged from tian, director at the publicity all four seasons. held annually. Russian guests, mainly from Lu told reporters that local in the area.