Shenzhen magic wins the ‘Golden Chrysanthemum’, the highest award in Chinese acrobatics

The magic act Secret Realm.

On the afternoon of May 5, the "11th China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts — National Magic and Comedy Competition," hosted by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Acrobats Association, came to a successful close in Shenzhen. Seven Magic Act Awards and three Comedy Act Awards were presented. Among them, the magic act "Secret Realm" — entered by the Shenzhen Acrobats Association and performed by Shenzhen Xinkuan Magic and Acrobatic Art Troupe Co., Ltd. — won a Magic Act Award at the 11th China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts.

A national professional arts award jointly hosted by the CFLAC and the China Acrobats Association, the China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts is the highest honour in Chinese acrobatics. The competition drew an enthusiastic response from the CAA's member organisations: by the end of March this year, 59 acts from 53 acrobatic troupes (and schools) and new arts groups in 21 provinces plus Hong Kong and Macao had entered the magic competition, and 26 acts from 24 acrobatic troupes (and schools) and new arts groups in 11 provinces plus Macao had entered the comedy competition.

It is worth noting in particular that of the 59 magic acts in the preliminary judging, 44 — 74.6 per cent — were entered by acrobatic groups and individuals outside the state system, as were 13 of the 26 comedy acts, or 50 per cent. Judging by the number of entries alone, new arts groups have become an indispensable force in the development of magic and comedy in China. After the preliminary judging, 28 magic acts and 11 comedy acts were selected for the finals of the 11th China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts national magic competition and national comedy competition respectively.

Shenzhen had four acts in the finals of the national magic competition and one in the finals of the national comedy competition. In the end, the magic act "Secret Realm" stood out from the field and won a Magic Act Award at the 11th China Golden Chrysanthemum Award for Circus Arts. The act takes Shenzhen's mangrove forest as its setting, with the magician and small animals together telling a story of harmony between people and nature. Starting from the visual design of the stage, it uses the deep trees of the forest, birdsong in a hidden realm and the magician's polished performance, scene and feeling reflecting one another, to portray a fairy-tale life in which people live in harmony with the natural environment and with birds, expressing the theme of protecting nature. Several of its upgraded and reworked magic techniques amplified the effect of the original magic and were widely praised. (Chief reporter Wei Peina)