The 27 pupils aged between 7 and 14 are a blur of movement as they practice acrobatics in a gymnasium 300 km southeast of Beijing.
The youngsters somersaulting and contorting themselves into impossible shapes are being trained at a specialist acrobatics school in Ningjin County of Shandong Province. It is among numerous facilities existing across China to raise the next generation of practitioners of art forms that may otherwise die out.
These examples of "intangible cultural heritage," as they are known, are recognized by UNESCO and formally protected in China. The Chinese Ministry of Culture recently doubled allowances given to practitioners of intangible cultural heritage to 20,000 yuan (3,074 U.S. dollars) per year.
Among the students at the school in Ningjin, a cradle of Chinese acrobatics, is 8-year-old Liu Ankang, who is being taught hat-juggling -- wearing one hat while holding another two and rotating the three by throwing and catching them.
"My sister is a graduate of this school, and I also want to go out from here to see a bigger world," Liu said.
His sister, six years older than him, just finished a performance tour in the Republic of Korea.
Despite the increasing popularity of Chinese acrobatics around the world, the number of parents wanting to send their children to train in acrobatics is actually in decline, said Shi Xiangdong, dean of the school. "People all think that acrobatics is hard. Why would parents in a single-child family be willing to send their only kid here?"
Yet in Shi's opinion, the hard work and sacrifice is worth it because graduates of the school don't have to worry about finding jobs. Normally, they are sent to municipal or provincial troupes after three years of training, Shi said.
These troupes pay members up to 5,000 yuan (770 U.S. dollars) per month,according to the dean.
There are not enough acrobatics schools to meet market demand, Shi added.
Liu Junsheng, 54, is a practitioner of Ningjin acrobatics representing the "Liu school" developed by his ancestors. No longer able to perform, he now teaches at Shi's school.
"I can't go on the stage in person any more, but I feel obliged to pass on my skills and write a history of the Liu school," said the acrobat. He has trained over 100 acrobats, many of whom have won medals in national and international competitions.
With all this backing, Liu Junior's aspirations to perform on the world stage may not be all that remote.
"I will first try to master all the basic skills and then graduate as a good performer," he said. "I hope I will get to follow in my sister's footsteps."
