Although juggling in its western form involving props such as balls, rings, and clubs is rarely performed in modern China, at certain periods in Chinese history it was much more popular. In fact, some of the world's earliest known jugglers were Chinese warriors and entertainers who lived during the time of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. References to these artists in ancient Chinese literature have preserved records of their incredible achievements. From such references, it appears that juggling was a well-regarded and highly developed form of ancient Chinese art.

Xiong Yiliao

Xiong Yiliao (), was a famous Chu warrior who fought under

King Zhuang of Chu King Zhuang of Chu (, reigned 613-591 BC) was a monarch of the Zhou dynasty State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period in ancient China. His personal name was Xiong Lü (), his ancestral name was Mi (), and his posthumous title was King Zhua ...

(ruled 613-591 BC) during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. Ancient Chinese annals state that he practiced ''nongwan'' (, "throwing multiple objects up and down without dropping"), and he is often cited as one of the world's earliest known jugglers. During a battle in about 603 BC between the states of Chu () and

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

(), Xiong Yiliao stepped out between the armies and juggled nine balls, captivating the Song troops. The Chu army took this opportunity to launch a surprise attack and routed the Song army. As Xu Wugui () recounts in Chapter 24 of the

Zhuangzi Zhuangzi may refer to: * ''Zhuangzi'' (book) (莊子), an ancient Chinese collection of anecdotes and fables, one of the foundational texts of Daoism **Zhuang Zhou Zhuang Zhou (), commonly known as Zhuangzi (; ; literally "Master Zhuang"; als ...

(), “Yiliao of Shinan juggled balls, and the conflict between the two states was ended.”

Lanzi

Lanzi (), another juggler from the Spring and Autumn period who is mentioned in the Chinese annals, lived during the reign of Duke Yuan of

(, 531-517 BC). Roughly translated, Chapter 8 of the

Liezi The ''Liezi'' () is a Taoist text attributed to Lie Yukou, a c. 5th century BC Hundred Schools of Thought philosopher. Although there were references to Lie's ''Liezi'' from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, a number of Chinese and Western schola ...

(), an ancient collection of

Daoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...

sayings, reads as follows: The passage states that Lanzi juggled the

jian The ''jian'' (pronunciation （劍）, English approximation: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the Spring and ...

(), a straight, double-edged sword which was used during the Spring and Autumn period. According to Jian Zhao in ''The Early Warrior and the Birth of the Xia'', Lanzi was a general term for itinerant entertainers in pre-Qin and Han times.

Chinese yo-yo

Diabolos evolved from the ancient

Chinese yo-yo The diabolo ( ; commonly misspelled ''diablo'') is a juggling or circus prop consisting of an axle () and two cups (hourglass/egg timer shaped) or discs derived from the Chinese yo-yo. This object is spun using a string attached to two hand s ...

,Orbanes, Philip (2004). ''The Game Makers: The Story of Parker Brothers from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit'', p.47-8. Harvard Business. . which was originally standardized in the 12th century.

References

{{Juggling Juggling History of ancient China History of games

Xiong Yiliao

Lanzi

Chinese yo-yo

See also

References