Folk acrobatics shows go back to the Song Dynasty when they were put on as part of court celebrations and common festivals. In the mid-20th century, acrobatics performers came to Taiwan amid historic changes and started to perform in theatres, clubs, and disco halls, or joined military recreational units. In early times, the republican government valued acrobatic performances very much. In 1973, the Chunghwa Acrobatics Troupe was formed by the Ministry of Education, and the troupe was regularly sent abroad to perform for diplomatic purposes. In 1978, the Chunghwa Folk Arts Training Center, established by Li Tang-hua, started training talented acrobatics performers. In 1982, National Fu Xing Drama School (later National Taiwan College of the Performing Arts) added the Department of Acrobatics and Dance to offer a complete education in both general subjects and professional studies.

The performer of Bamboo Pole Acrobatics carries a bamboo pole of about 6 meters in length onto the stage; then a female performer climbs up along the pole and, on top of the pole, demonstrates a wide array of graceful movements while displaying a great sense of balance, such as hanging upside down and raising a flag. The pole carrier has to be particularly strong in both his lumbar regions and legs, so he needs to practice shouldering a six-meter-long pole for a long period of time. The performer on the pole needs to have strong arms while possessing the grace to perform light and stable movements. The two perform together as a unit; they develop mutual trust and affinity by working together for a long time.