Why has Shenzhen magic won the ‘Golden Chrysanthemum’ crown a second time?

On 5 May the 11th China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts — National Magic & Comedy Competition came to a successful close in Shenzhen. After fierce competition, the original magic act "Secret Realm," entered by the Shenzhen Acrobats Association and performed by the Shenzhen Xinkuan Magic Art Troupe, took first place overall and won the Magic Act Award of the 11th China "Golden Chrysanthemum Award" for Circus Arts. This is the second time Shenzhen has taken the "Golden Chrysanthemum" crown since the magic act "Dream of the Fan" won at the 10th Golden Chrysanthemum Awards in 2018, and it fully demonstrates the results of Shenzhen's strong support for the development of acrobatics and magic in recent years.

"Secret Realm," Magic Act Award of the 11th China "Golden Chrysanthemum Award" for Circus Arts

The China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts, established with central government approval and jointly hosted by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Acrobats Association, is a national professional arts award held once every three years and the highest award in Chinese acrobatics. For this competition, 59 acts from 53 acrobatic troupes and schools and new arts groups in 21 provinces across the country and in Hong Kong and Macao entered the magic contest. In the end the magic act "Secret Realm" stood out from the field and won the Magic Act Award of the 11th China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts.

That the magic act "Secret Realm" stood out from the field to win the Magic Act Award of the 11th China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts is a full expression of the results of the Shenzhen Acrobats Association's vigorous encouragement and support for the development of acrobatics and magic. In recent years the association has united and guided acrobatic artists to carry forward a spirit of daring to venture, to try and to strive, innovating constantly and exploring boldly, and has achieved good results in everything from competitions and exchanges, community performances and magic lectures to adult contests, children's competitions and special showcases. In particular, the "Shenzhen International Magic Festival," now held three times in succession, has become a bright calling card for Chinese acrobatics and magic, enjoying a fine reputation and influence in the global acrobatics and magic world and providing a good platform for training talent in Shenzhen, in China and indeed worldwide. The Xinkuan Magic Art Troupe, the winner this time, is precisely a representative magic company in the high-quality development of Shenzhen's acrobatics and magic sector; it has won four national awards, four international awards and dozens of provincial and municipal awards.

"Secret Realm," Magic Act Award of the 11th China "Golden Chrysanthemum Award" for Circus Arts; performers Hu Linglong and An Na

The Golden Chrysanthemum-winning act "Secret Realm" takes Shenzhen's mangroves as its background. Working from the visual, with deep forest trees, birdsong in a hidden realm and the magician's accomplished performance, magician, doves and parrots together enact a fairy-tale life in which people, the natural environment and birds live in harmony, expressing the theme of protecting the natural environment. Scene and situation reflect one another, and the several upgraded magic techniques it presents amplify the effect of the original magic, winning high praise from experts in the field.

Ruxianguli, chair of the Shenzhen Acrobats Association, said that presenting a work must bring together the wisdom and strength of the whole team, working in concert and focusing on the goal, creating unlimited possibilities for a dream and letting dreams take flight in the "Secret Realm."

According to Du Juan, who devised and directed the piece, "Secret Realm" took three years to create and went through more than a thousand trials and rehearsals. From its structure to its handling of magic technique it differs greatly from traditional dove magic: it absorbs the essence of traditional magic and raises it further, showing birds in various transformations that finally turn into human form, thereby embodying the creative idea of harmony between people and nature; combined with music and stage design, it delivers a different kind of visual impact and is a major innovation in magic.

Xin Zhikuan, founder of the Shenzhen Xinkuan Magic Art Troupe, has won China's "Wenhua Award" for direction and for props. In the two months and more before the competition he kept striving for perfection, once again overturning the existing prop effects and organising the team to work overtime, racing against the clock to develop a prop parrot that could fly out over the audience, return to the performer's hand and produce a real parrot. To express harmony between people and birds, the act replaced the birdcage originally used with a nest and added the bougainvillea, Shenzhen's city flower, climbing the tree, along with effects such as a tree turning instantly into a person.

The competing performer Hu Linglong reflected: "What I gained most from this competition was not how great a result I achieved, but that more than a thousand days and nights of creative work made me deeply appreciate the youth and effort our predecessors gave to the creation and development of Chinese magic. We of the new era must work all the harder if we are to carry the heavy load on our shoulders."

Bian Faji, member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, vice-chair of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and chair of the China Acrobats Association, encouraged the winning team not to stop creating but to keep striving for perfection and polishing the work, and to aim to take "Secret Realm" onto the world stage.