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y separately published work icon Shanghai Acrobat single work   autobiography  
Issue Details: First known date: 2021... 2021 Shanghai Acrobat
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'For readers of Mao’s Last Dancer comes the inspiring true story of a world-famous acrobat who escaped communist China to begin a new life in Australia.

'Jingjing Xue was born in China in the 1950s, during one of the worst times in the reign of communist leader Mao Zedong, or Chairman Mao. Mao’s extreme five-year industrialisation plan – the Great Leap Forward – left much of the population starving, destitute and gripped with fear. Jingjing, abandoned to an orphanage as a young boy, was destined to a life of hardship before officials singled him out and enlisted him to train with the Shanghai Acrobatics School.

'This autobiography tells the moving story of his rise from poverty to become an admired performer in China and beyond – and of his extraordinary escape from Mao’s repressive regime to secure his freedom. Set in China from the early years of the communist era, through the turbulent period of the Cultural Revolution, and to a new life in Australia, this is a story of hope and perseverance, of overcoming adversity and of finding a place to belong.' (Publication summary)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Melbourne, Victoria,: Black Inc. , 2021 .
      image of person or book cover 129702192705997150.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 336p.
      Note/s:
      • Published March 2021
      ISBN: 9781743821466
    • Manhattan, New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      Apollo Publishers ,
      2021 .
      image of person or book cover 5703502832557676797.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 320p.p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 18 May 2021.
      ISBN: 9781948062749

Other Formats

  • Large print.
  • Dyslexic edition.

Works about this Work

“Shanghai Acrobat: An Orphan Boy’s Inspiring True Story of Courage and Determination in Revolutionary China” by Jingjing Xue Susan Blumberg-Kason , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Asian Review of Books 2021;

— Review of Shanghai Acrobat Jingjing Xue , 2021 single work autobiography

'Well before ping-pong diplomacy in the early 1970s, there was acrobat diplomacy. As a result, many people around the world became familiar with Chinese acrobats, performers that did more than just walk a trapeze or juggle on stilts. Chinese acrobats brought circus performing to a new level, for instance by balancing multiple stacks of cups and saucers on the top of long sticks—often from two hands and a foot. In Jingjing Xue’s memoir, Shanghai Acrobat, the author not only tells of training with the Shanghai acrobats from a young age, but also shows how these troupes became the face of China, starting in developing countries and eventually reaching the west.' (Introduction)

“Shanghai Acrobat: An Orphan Boy’s Inspiring True Story of Courage and Determination in Revolutionary China” by Jingjing Xue Susan Blumberg-Kason , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Asian Review of Books 2021;

— Review of Shanghai Acrobat Jingjing Xue , 2021 single work autobiography

'Well before ping-pong diplomacy in the early 1970s, there was acrobat diplomacy. As a result, many people around the world became familiar with Chinese acrobats, performers that did more than just walk a trapeze or juggle on stilts. Chinese acrobats brought circus performing to a new level, for instance by balancing multiple stacks of cups and saucers on the top of long sticks—often from two hands and a foot. In Jingjing Xue’s memoir, Shanghai Acrobat, the author not only tells of training with the Shanghai acrobats from a young age, but also shows how these troupes became the face of China, starting in developing countries and eventually reaching the west.' (Introduction)

Last amended 15 Feb 2023 16:04:46
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