One of the most loved attractions in Shanghai is not found in the teeming streets or in a famous temple or a modern marvel of architecture – it's the men and women known as the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe. Though they are often on tour, traveling the world from Chicago to Rome to Sydney, there home base and most frequent site of their amazing performances is in the city from which the troupe takes their name. And while Shanghai tourist attractions are everywhere within the city, from the Oriental Pearl Tower to the shimmering Bund, people from all over the country also come here to witness the gravity defying stunts and amazing feats of balance and strength that are synonymous with a performance by these world renowned acrobats.
Though the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe has been around for years, they started playing their most famous shows in September of 1999, as the main event in the newly constructed Shanghai Circus World. The new building would be used primarily for shows by the famous troupe, who had grown tired of travelling around the world without a home theater to call their own. Found on Gonghexin Road in the northern section of town, their performances were immediately hailed for their breathtaking stunts, and within a few weeks the Circus World was immediately elevated to one of the most popular attractions in Shanghai. The troupe succeeded in their mission to bring back the grandeur and pageantry of the circus, most notably in their trademark performance called “Oriental Stories.” From then on it was immediately billed as the number one circus on the continent. And with good reason – various performers affiliated with the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe were given special recognition after their signature trick, known as the Flying Trapeze, won the gold medal in the National Acrobatics Contest. This also cemented their status as one of the growing Shanghai tourist attractions, as shows in the giant arena sold out in mere minutes – clearly the Shanghai Circus World was not built in vain.
The Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe have dedicated themselves to pushing the boundaries of acrobatic technique – their stated goal was to develop an entirely new atmosphere surrounding their shows, to introduce a new way of looking at theater to the new markets and demographics its new home would bring in. There was little argument that the troupe had become one of the major attractions in Shanghai when it was invited into the Shanghai Culture, Broadcast, Film and TV Group – the premier media group in all of China. Now, with even more developing outlets for their talent and art, the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe continue towards a new realm of popularity.
