In Hunan, there are three well-known acrobatic performing families, among which the Chen family in Changsha is one. In the past, the folk acrobatic performance mainly referred to variety shows by artisans, juggling or sometimes a monkey show. Most variety shows belong to ordinary traditional techniques, for instance, acrobatics on a bamboo pole, jar-balancing, high-wire walking plate-spinning pagoda of bowls, and flying trident and knife, sometimes interwoven with martial arts. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the provincial acrobatic troupe developed trick-cycling and other acrobatic programs.
