CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- It is not difficult for 53-year-old Li Longxiang to perform a monkey pole climb, throw Huagu and knives and do other ancient tricks. As the third-generation successor of his family, he is especially skilled at performing Shima acrobatics. In 2016, Shima acrobatics was listed in the municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage. In order to inherit the acrobatics, Li Longxiang runs a free training class by making tools and decorating the site at his own expense to lead the kids in the town down the road of intangible cultural heritage.

Two wooden sticks and a glass become very “tractable” in Li Longxiang’s performance. Except for cup carrying, Li Longxiang also has another repertoire, Shima acrobatics, which originated in Shima Town, Jiangjin. The whole performance is integrated with folk music and singing, opera music, juggling and other folk arts, with strong local characteristics.

After the Shima acrobatics was listed in the municipal intangible cultural heritage, Li Longxiang thinks this folk art should be inherited by successors. At the beginning of the year, he had an idea to teach the acrobatics to neighborhood kids. He emptied out the second floor of his restaurant and laid a carpet. After elaborately decorating, he finished the preparation for the training class.