On Saturday night, April 15th, a tragic incident happened during an acrobatic show in Hougao village in Suzhou, a city located in the northern part of Anhui Province (not to be confused with the other Suzhou, which is located in Jiangsu Province).
During the live show, just before 9pm, a male/female acrobatic duo was hoisted up into the air by a rope in front of a large audience. As they went higher, the female performer clung to her partner, who was holding onto the rings on the ropes with both hands. However, at a certain point, she appeared to lose her grip and fell to the stage below.
The performer was rushed to hospital, but unfortunately passed away from her injuries. The accident led to the immediate cancelation of the show, and other remaining shows for the weekend were canceled by the performance company.
The following day, the case was a much-discussed one on social media, where videos recorded by audience members soon spread online (edited version here, full version here but viewer discretion is advised: graphic content that may be disturbing to some viewers.) Many people wondered how such an incident could have happened.
Witnesses told reporters that there were no safety lines, but that other safety measures, such as landing pads, were also not in place. Since the village roads leading up to the performance location are apparently not well paved, the site was also not easy to access for emergency services.
According to Chinese media outlet The Paper, the performance company claimed the acrobatic performers, who were husband and wife, were arguing at the time of the incident. Although the female performer was told to wear safety lines, she allegedly refused.
This was later denied by her husband, who told Yangzi Evening News that there had been no argument: “We were always happy together. There was no fight. As I am in the middle of the process of dealing with all of this, I can’t disclose any specific details at this time.”
State media outlet Global Times reported that the company in charge of the performance was established in Anhui in 2018. In 2021, they received a 50,000 yuan fine ($7275) from the local tourism office for organizing commercial performances without the authoritzation of local authorities.
The government in Suzhou’s Yongqiao district, which Haogou falls under, have set up a special team to investigate the incident and determine the legal responsibilities of the involved parties.
According to preliminary investigations, the performance was organized by a local business (farm) owner and the company behind the show is the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Media Company (安徽亚西演艺传媒有限公司).
On social media, many people do not understand why the company and organizers did not make sure there were minimal safety measures in place, such as a cushion landing pad or safety nets. Why would they allow such a high-risk performance without any precautions?
Commenters also remarked that performers like these are in a vulnerable position, both literally and figuratively – they often undertake dangerous jobs with relatively low pay. Other voices expressed that the husband also was to blame for participating in such an acrobatic performance with his wife, knowing the risks they were taking.
Friends of the couple stated that they had been performing together for many years, and that their performances often did not include safety lines (see video). Working in a highly competitive industry, their more high-risk acts would allegedly get paid better, and they also placed emphasis on the aesthetics of performing without safety belts (#朋友称坠亡杂技演员与丈夫磨合多年#). In low season, they would earn around 2000 yuan ($290) for such a performance.
The couple, husband Zhang and his wife Sun (born 1986), also have a son and a daughter together. A co-worker present at the scene told reporters that Sun was still alive and breathing after the fall, and was tightly holding on to her husband’s hand.
China’s Acrobatic Assocation responded to the incident, emphasizing that the safety of performers should always be a top priority and that all acrobatic performers should receive adequate safety trainings (#中国杂技家协会回应演出人员坠亡事件#).
“Let’s hope everyone can learn from this and prevent this from happening ever again,” some commenters wrote.
By Manya Koetse , with contributions by Miranda Barnes
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