Aerial sports are an integral part of Chinese traditional sports and activities, including the See-Saw Jump, To Have a Swing, Stepping on High and so on.

See-Saw Jump is a game that requires perfect timing, skill and courage. Usually a springboard is about 6 meters (19.7 feet) long, 0.4 meter (1.3 feet) wide and 0.05 meter (1.97 inches) thick, and is made of a tough and bouncy wood. The board is mounted upon a pivot and two people stand one at either end. As one jumps down, the opposite end of the board throws the

other player high into the air. While in the air the players will either remain in an upright position or perform spins, back flips or other feats of dexterity and adventure. With each rebound, the contestants reach higher and higher into the air.

What are the legends about See-Saw Jump?

See-Saw Jump is jumping with a spring board. The contests are popular with the women of the Korean ethnic group and are usually held during the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and on Mid-Autumn Day. Legend has it that, in ancient times, two innocent men were arrested and put into prison. Their wives who were eager to see their husbands had a brilliant idea. They used a spring board to throw themselves into the sky, so that they could look down from the window and see their husbands. Another story concerns constraints placed upon women by the yoke of feudal society. At that time women were unable to step out from their courtyards, so to see something of the outside world they would silently jump high into the air with springboards to peer over the high walls surrounding them.

What does it mean "To Have a Swing (Dang Qiuqian)"?
In the game of to have a swing, the participants perform acrobatics and exercises of strength and dexterity while using ropes, often quite high above the ground. The Korean and Bai ethnic groups are particularly expert in these swing activities. During the festivals they wear their fineries and decorate the swings to be as beautiful as possible. The thick ropes are tied on horizontal branches of large trees, bold and uninhibited people will then hang a ribbon or a ring above and before the swing so that players have to swing up to reach them. The high flying, graceful and daring performers are greeted by the cheers and applause of the enthusiastic onlookers.

When does To Have a Swing originate from?

As early as the Jin Dynasty (265 - 420), this was developed as a display and was welcomed by many people, and it became a fashion in the Tang and Song Dynasties. There is a story about the swing, which goes like this: in the reign of the Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), the people in a place called Jia Yi suffered from the plague. The villagers built temples to worship the saints and prayed for good health, and soon their wishes were realized. To show their gratitude to the saints, people took great pains to think how to amuse them in addition to the usual annual fetes on each saint's day. One day, a talented scholar saw his little daughter playing cheerily on a swing. This gave him a brainwave and so a swing competition was inaugurated as a wonderful way to pay homage and respect to the deities. From then on, the swing occupied an important place in the sporting activities.

What is Stepping on High?

The Miao and Tujia ethnic groups in Hunan province ,China, are very fond of a sport called ‘gaojiao’ which means ‘stepping on high’. It is recorded that during the fourteenth to fifteenth century, the people living there were too poor to afford shoes for themselves. However, there was a considerable amount of rain, which made the ground very wet which meant people had to figure out a way to walk. They made short stilts from bamboo poles about 1-meter-high, and tied these stilts to their legs.

This useful way of getting around has been developed into a skill and in traditional games people not only walk on these stilts but run at speed to demonstrating great feats of agility and balance.