奇速英语

Videos of a 6-year-old boy in Southwest China’s Chongqing performing fire-breathing became popular on the Internet recently. In the video, the little boy skillfully holds two torches (火把) in his hands and plants his feet. He then holds his breath for a few seconds and breathes flames (火焰) during a performance.

The boy Li Wenjie was born in Gaodongzi village of Banqiao township of Yongchuan. More than two years ago, the boy saw his father, Li Tianhong, teaching his elder brother how to fire-breathe and became interested. So, Li Tianhong, a famous local acrobat (杂技演员), decided to teach both his sons the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产).

Sichuan Opera, popular in Southwest China, is one of China’s traditional opera dramas and has a history of around 300 years. Three major skills of Sichuan Opera are face-changing, fire-breathing, and lamp-rolling techniques. In 2006, the State Council included them in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.

To master the high-level skill, the little boy must practice the basics daily. One such practice is repeatedly holding a mouthful of cold water, which usually causes pain in his face. His talent and hard work paid off. He won fifth place at this year’s Spring Festival Gala in Chongqing, according to the local cultural and tourism commission. The boy said his dream is to be a Sichuan Opera master when he grows up.

“I hope more people can know about and appreciate our traditional culture,” said Li Tianhong.