Due to the prosperous development of commercial theaters during the Japanese Colonial Period in Taiwan, performances given in Taiwan by acrobatic troupes from China and Japan were recorded. After WWII, acrobatic troupes and masters from China, such as “Hai Jia Ban” of Chang-ching Hai, “Zhao Jia Ban” of Mu-qun Zhao, “Chang Jia Ban” of Chi-chao Chang Brothers, Tang-hwa Lee, and Cheng-kun Wu, undertook tours at theaters in Taiwan as entertainment for soldiers. In the 1960s, the era of economic growth, acrobatics enjoyed immense popularity, with troupes performing at various hotels and restaurants. In 1973, the Ministry of Education established the “ROC Comprehensive Troupe,” which was sent abroad to entertain overseas Taiwanese and promote international good will. In 1982, the Department of Variety Arts at National Fu Hsing Dramatic Arts School was established and was later upgraded to the Department of Folk Customs at National Taiwan College of Performing Arts as the only department cultivating acrobatic talents in Taiwan. In addition, the “Comprehensive Troupe” was established. Alumni established “New Image Theater Groups,” “Acrobatics Space,” “MIX Acrobatics Theater,” and “Wukong Acrobatics” for the purpose of creating acrobatics new performance patterns and subject matter.

Folk performance skill in Taiwan is a part of religious heritage brought by immigrants from China since the Qing Dynasty to meet the need of greeting deities. It is a folk performance art with local and regional features in Taiwan. In early days, folk performance was performed by amateur performing groups formed by close regional and relative relationships (e.g., Lion Formation, Dragon Formation, Song-Jiang Formation, Tiaogu Formation, Stilt Formation, Chegu Formation, Plowing Formation, and Pat-ka-tsiong). Such performances have certain political, economic, religious, social, entertaining functions as well as a form of exercise to increase physical strength. Over time, this art form is still part of ceremonial activities in folk religion, while its forms and contents have been innovated, enabling Shih Jenn and Song-Jiang Formation to shine in the field of modern performing arts.

Acrobatics is a performing art which makes use of props and highlights skills as main expressive means. Performers have to be in full control of the props and their physical flexibility and control have to be superior to those of ordinary people, in order to exhibit difficult, dangerous, and beautiful skills that can entertain all audiences. Acrobatics is also integrated with other performing elements in terms of artistic conception to enrich performance patterns. For example, programs such as the little martial art, “win speedy success,” the grand martial art, “treasure everywhere,” and the lion dance, “lion for good fortune,” are popular with general public and are performed during festivals. Moreover, the elegant acrobatic performance, “flexible bones,” the chair-stacking skill, “up into the clouds,” which exhibits power and beauty, the hoop jumping performance, “richness and union,” and the foot skill, “turning things around,” are all forms of popular modern acrobatics. In recent years, various troupes have introduced innovations and created acrobatics that are integrated with artistic insights and can reflect times and places, such as “rhythm of Chinese,” “local customs in Taiwan,” and “festive costumes.”

The folk performance in Taiwan is often performed by amateurs for festive temple ceremonies. The focus of performance is not on the artistic form or content. The natural and vivid performances reflect the common nature and diversified aesthetic sense of the folk and exhibits the folk way of thinking. Taking the most representative folk performances, the Shih Jenn and Song-Jiang Formation, as an example, the former exhibits strength, high-risk skill, solid footwork, naughtiness and attention to detail, while the latter is a collective performance of martial arts exhibiting proficiency in the performance and use of weaponry, good chemistry among performers, and power & beauty. The accurate performance of martial arts movements by performers is particularly important, which is the essence of the Song-Jiang Formation.