Walking on stilts

　　Look!

　　A three-meter-tall giant is approaching!

　　This is a traditional Chinese folk activity -- walking on stilts.

　　The performers step on wooden poles,

　　their calves and poles tied together with ropes.

　　They wear costumes from opera characters, with props like fans, handkerchiefs, sticks, broadswords and spears in hand.

　　The performance can be divided into Wenqiao and Wuqiao.

　　While Wenqiao stresses appearance and amusement,

　　Wuqiao emphasizes action and movement.

　　Stilters often act as characters in traditional folk tales -- either the omnipotent Monkey King in Journey to the West, or the fighting god Guan Yu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

　　Stilts originated very early in China, and were very popular before the Qin Dynasty.

　　According to the folk tale,

　　the ancient Chinese began using stilts to help them gather fruits from trees. This practical use of stilts gradually developed into a kind of folk dance during traditional Chinese festivals.

　　To the music of gong and drum,

　　performers walk on stilts.

　　People follow the performers and fill the streets, eager to watch.

　　Old or young, everyone is so excited.

　　Walking on stilts requires high skill, and beginners fall easily.

　　But practice makes perfect.

　　If you’re confident enough, come to China and give this thousand-year-old folk activity a try.

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