Acrobats in rural areas risk much to survive

Zhang Kai, 39, was performing somersaults in midair in his hometown of Yongcheng City, Henan Province, on the evening of November 25 when the rope attached to a crane's boom unhooked. Zhang fell face down and suffered several fractures.

Less than 20 months earlier, in April 2023, his wife died while performing a similar feat in Suzhou City, Anhui Province. Given the tragedy, why would Zhang carry on with this dangerous feat?

Many troupes, including the Zhangs, carry out such acts daily in the rural north, usually at weddings or funerals, taking considerable risks and working outside the supervision of relevant authorities.

In central China, where the provinces of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu converge, these performances typically occur in rural places such as Bozhou, Suzhou and Shangqiu.

When a troupe performance is required at a wedding or a funeral (in China, the funeral of someone who has died in old age is usually accompanied by certain form of entertainment), an agent is contacted, who will then set a price and form a temporary troupe capable of providing entertainment for a couple of hours. The usual actors include singers, magicians, acrobats and traditional theater performers.

Zhang was not scheduled to perform on November 25, but due to an acrobat's absence that day, he was roped in.

Daman, a suona player and agent, sought support from Zhang just four hours before the performance.

Zhang was always willing to help. He left a message for the two children, directing the older son to cook the frozen dumplings as supper for himself and his sister. An hour after the start, Zhang decided to sell goodies like walnuts and duck necks by livestreaming e-commerce. It would help supplement his limited family income.

Zhang's acrobatics, scheduled as the grand finale, did not begin until 10:30pm. During his performance, the crane lifted Zhang to a height of 2 meters, allowing him to perform many somersaults in midair.

The act captivated the audience until the rope broke. Zhang hit the concrete floor face down. Zhang sustained a comminuted fracture on his right face, a swollen right chest, and the loss of his right leg's kneecap.

The tragedy reminded Zhang's family of their painful experience on April 15 last year, when Zhang's wife, Sun Yanyan, took a tragic dive. During a performance at Yinlou Village in Suzhou, Anhui Province, the couple was raised to a dizzying height of a dozen meters, but Sun lost her grasp and fell to the ground.

Zhang was more fortunate than his wife. He received emergency care at a nearby hospital and was later moved to an ICU in Zhengzhou, capital city of Henan. The transfer took 10 hours.

The accident shook Daman, the organizer. On November 27, he borrowed 5,000 yuan (US$694) from a friend, Li Laiyuan, to cover medical bills. However, Li preferred to contribute the money to Zhang's treatment.

By November 27, Zhang was no longer in danger but still required more surgery. After Sun's death, Zhang promised not to return to acrobatics and instead focused on e-commerce for almost a year. After his wife's untimely death, he gained over 200,000 fans in a few months.

Since this year, Zhang's fanbase has dwindled to a few hundred, and e-commerce sales have decreased significantly. Zhang's focus on low-cost products with little profit hindered his e-commerce growth. He declined to offer high-value products such as goose down duvets, citing a desire to avoid imposing inferior products on others.

Zhang lacked a strategy for managing fan demands during livestreaming. For example, if some admirers want him to sing, he will oblige, even though he is not an accomplished singer. Then some former followers would urge him not to act joyful, considering his perceived identity as a widower. His confusion only increased.

He returned to acrobatics only to meet with an unfortunate accident.

Before pursuing acrobatics, the Zhang couple had unsuccessfully sought employment as migrants. Acrobatics seemed to be the only thing they could commercialize, but the market was fiercely competitive. Their performance made them highly sought-after. Even during the pandemic, their business performed well.

After Zhang's horrific injury, experts concluded that gymnastics on rope swinging from crane shafts was nothing short of a time bomb, as hoisting humans by cranes was illegal. For Zhang, this prop was cost-effective. These folk performers have learned to deal with the daily risks; the lack of protective measures highlights the exceptional skills of the performers.

Local authorities often enforce sweeping bans in areas where accidents occur, in contrast to their previous laissez-faire approach, rather than taking proactive measures to ensure safety during performances. According to insiders, while earthbound and airborne acrobatics are paid roughly the same, those who can do acrobatics in midair are often considered top-tier.

The most sought-after acrobatics are those performed in midair, followed by animal performances, and finally earth performances. At a height of over 10 meters, acrobats tumble and swing around to the cheers and exclamations of spectators.

Zhang naturally hopes that his 13-year-old son will engage in science and technology or pursue a business career, rather than acrobatics.

(Yang Shuyuan, Zhou Ziyun and Chen Shuling contributed to this story.)