The ancient Chinese circus is quite different from the modern one, which is public entertainment consisting typically of a variety of performances by acrobats, clowns and trained animals. But the ancient show refers to all kinds of performances done on horseback, dating from more than 2,000 years ago.
From excavated cultural relics, we learned that soldiers rode chariots for battles and noble men used carriages for journeys, and horses were not for riding before the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). King Wuling of Zhao during the Warring States Period carried out a military reform in 307 BC, asking soldiers to shoot arrows on horseback rather than using chariots for battles. From then on, every country on the Central Plains rode horses during war.
In order to meet the urgent need for war horses during the early Han Dynasty, rulers promulgated several policies to encourage people to raise horses. This gave average people the chance to understand the habits of horses, and to learn how to master and control horses. Emperor Wu of the Han liked to show off, thus every major festival he would invite monarchs from other countries and leaders of ethnic groups within the country to Chang’an, giving them presents and entertaining them with various kinds of performances. Ancient Chinese circus was one of them.
From then on, ancient Chinese circus existed in every dynasty, and displayed different art during different periods. From archaeological discovery and paintings of the ancient Chinese circus, it can be divided into three: performance on horseback, trained horses and polo.
Performance on horseback
Panting of a performance on horseback on the wall of the Confucian Temple in Linzi, Shandong province.
Performance on horseback is a main form of ancient Chinese circus. One picture on the wall of the Confucian Temple in Linzi, Shandong province, shows an excellent performance on horseback One person rides the horse with his hands up; one holds a hand of the rider and jumps up high; one holds the horse’s tail; and one stands in front of the horse. Behind the horse there is another horse and a carriage with four people on it; one holds the head of the horse and another one behind the carriage is ready to get on. In all, 10 people perform. It requires not only skillful riding technique, but also cooperation.
Performance on horseback continued developing throughout the Song Dynasty (960–1279), and formed a systematic mode of performing. However, as the Ming Dynasty came, large-scale performance on horseback gradually declined, and then became a folk art.
