Curtains fell on the 27th Latina International Circus Festival in Italy on October 20. Sheyang Acrobatic Troupe claimed first place for its exquisite skill and outstanding performance in the head balancing feat Racing the Sun and Holding up the Sky, adding another gold medal for Chinese acrobatics in the international event. 

The festival, held from October 15 to 19 in Latina of Italy, brought together over 100 top artists from 14 countries. The jury was composed of 22 outstanding professionals from the international circus community to ensure rigorous judging. The Chinese artists stood out amid fierce competition with a creative and impressive performance, which delves into the essence of the classic Chinese myth Hou Yi the Archer Shoots the Suns. As part of the move to tell Chinese stories in an engaging way, the performance showcased China’s cultural richness on the global stage with its distinctive ingenuity and superb artistic merit.

These artists are all from Sheyang Acrobatic Troupe, a troupe that has been making frequent appearances on international stages in recent years with its creative and high-quality productions. Zhang Zhengyong, Party Secretary of the Troupe, saw this gold medal as an encouragement for the artists to keep honing their skills and create more acrobatic masterpieces imbued with the essence of Chinese stories and Eastern aesthetics, thereby bringing traditional Chinese culture to a wider global audience.