Reminiscences of My Youth
By Jenny Tu-Yu
07.08.2017 | Original Post | 中文
The year the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was completed, I was born at the foot of Turtle Mountain (Guishan), where “a turtle and a snake are connected by the river,” into a construction worker family who was one of the builders of the bridge. I once spoke on behalf of the students of the children’s school at the activist representative conference of the Central Unit in Wuhan—the Railway Ministry Bridge Engineering Bureau. In 1970, I was selected to join the famous Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe at home and abroad, which enjoyed the national cadre seniority salary. After six years of residential study and training, I became an announcer, magician, and acrobat of a performance group that exercises national cultural diplomacy.
This is my passport photo from my first overseas performance in Brazil in 1978. Other countries I have performed in include Japan in 1979 and 1984, the Philippines in 1979, India and Nepal in 1980, Thailand in 1980 and 1987, Canada in 1982 and 1988, the Netherlands and Belgium in 1986, Paris in 1989 and 1991, and Singapore in 1991. I have also performed in Hong Kong and Macau.
This is me and Miss Thailand announcing the opening ceremony.
We have performed in major cities in India. This is me walking back with the Indian announcer. The audience behind us are Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Gandhi and her entourage.
Me and the Belgian announcer.
The performance ended with a curtain call to the audience.
Announcement at the closing ceremony of the performance.
Screenshot of a French TV program, broadcasting in Paris.
After the performance in China, he was received by President Li Xiannian.
Screenshot of a French TV show, performed in Paris. My innovative magic trick: changing the color of goldfish without any obstruction in the water has been appreciated by people inside and outside the industry.
Stills from the performance.
Catch the big fish among the audience.
Promotional photos of the performance. My innovative classical magic show “Scattering Flowers and Dancing Butterflies” combines magic skills with music and dance, and is inspired by the paper-cut “Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers” (Tian Nu San Hua).
Screenshots from the performance video.
Performing a magic trick of changing playing cards at the welcome party in the Philippines.
Performing magic tricks at parties in the United States.
At the end of 2024, I was interviewed by my daughter. I could actually conjure up ten ping-pong balls again, but that was decades ago! Haha.
I am very happy that my innovative program “Scattered Flowers and Dancing Butterflies” has been included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage.
Our innovative program “High Platform Double-Decker Bicycles” stood out in the national rehearsal in Beijing in 1975, and was made into a movie and appeared in magazines and newspapers such as People’s Pictorial. There was also an episode that year. During the performance report before entering Beijing, I fell off the high platform while performing the action I was most worried about, “the person and the front wheel turn back and forth together.” My left knee landed on the shaft of the extended axel in the center of the wheel, and a hole was punctured in the soft tissue. Fortunately, the bone was fine. Ten days later, I rushed to Beijing to participate in the competition.
The photos above appeared in this collection.
Three levels of people.
Performance advertising.
I always do this “arabesque” after completing a solo skill.
The reporters only paid attention to taking pictures of me doing the arabesque, but in fact, what I cared about was the handstand on the handlebars, because it took me, with my slender limbs, countless times scraping my shoulders to accomplish it.
The picture above shows me and the wheel turning together to do the arabesque, and this picture shows us turning back in the same way.
Now my waist and legs are prone to soreness, and I suddenly felt dazed. How did I get down from standing like that? I recalled that I sat down, stretched my left leg backward and turned to do the arabesque, while holding the handlebars and wheels with my hands.
The entire bicycle frame should slide down and land on the left foot, then slide back up slowly.
I am honored that “High Platform Double-Decker Bicycles” has also been selected into the national intangible cultural heritage list.
Screenshot from the 15th episode of the Chinese documentary “Talking about the Yangtze River” published in 1983. We really train hard in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer.
In the screenshot of “Talking about the Yangtze River,” I am drinking soda. Wuhan in the hot summer is really like a big furnace.
Two screenshots from the first episode of “Let’s Talk About the Yangtze River.”
I’m going to wipe sweat.
In 1978, we flew to Brazil for the first time with diplomats on a Chinese special plane and toured various cities. We were led by police cars, and the national anthem and flag were played during performances. It was my first time going abroad to Brazil, and the beautiful impressions of cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasilia are still unforgettable. The place where we took photos was the capital of Brazil, Brasilia with an airplane pattern. The building with a bowl facing up is the House of Representatives, the building with a bowl facing down is the Senate, and the building with a pair of chopsticks is the office building. We visited the House of Representatives in session, and I also performed magic for the members who were in recess.
We were performing for an international conference in the Philippines, and the police were on guard the entire time. President Marcos and his wife enthusiastically led us to visit the presidential palace.
Nepal’s Prime Minister laid flowers.
Screenshot of the group’s video. We took a special Thai plane to Bangkok for the performance.
The Thai royal family presented flowers.
Photo taken in Thailand.
We performed twice during state visits to major cities in Japan.
The picture shows a meeting with the mayor of Oita, Japan.
Exchange with magicians in Thailand.
Exchange with magicians in Belgium.
We toured major cities across Canada twice. The picture shows the Canadian Prime Minister taking a photo with us.
Photo taken in Canada.
Taking a photo at Niagara Falls, Canada.
Howard and I took a photo in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in 1989. I would like to thank the leaders and colleagues of the city, bureau, and group for holding a special wedding ceremony for us in 1984, with headscarves, red flowers, red silk, and gongs and drums. I would like to thank the city leader, Minister Fang, for presiding over our wedding.
We are in Paris.
The proud photo was taken by Howard on the fallen leaves in the back garden of the Palace of Versailles.
Screenshots of the group’s video recording, where we visited the Louvre, climbed the Eiffel Tower, cruised on the Seine River, etc. in Paris.
Screenshots of the group’s video recording.
In Paris.
We toured various major cities in the Netherlands. This photo was taken at the famous beach in The Hague, Netherlands.
Streets of Holland.
Taking photos of Dutch folk culture.
I took a photo in Los Angeles, USA with the famous acrobat, head of the troupe Xia Juhua, who has led us to perform abroad for more than ten years, and other leaders.
Taking photos abroad.
Photo taken in Singapore.
This is the cover of the magazine, titled “Youth.” I would like to thank Mr. Huang Keqin, Chairman of the Wuhan Photographers Association, for taking a group of photos for me.
The photo on the calendar taken by Mr. Huang Hacken is also titled “Youth.”
Photo taken by Mr Huang.
Photo taken by Mr Huang.
Five photographs from a photo studio window.
In the documentary film, I played a bride who came to get her wedding photos taken. Later, the Troupe leader asked me, how could I get photos taken if I was not married?
Photos of the main actors in the programme synopsis.
Photos of the main actors in the programme synopsis.
Photos of the main actors in the programme synopsis.
Invitation card to attend the state banquet at the Chinese Embassy in France.
A page from a Japanese magazine.
Reports from foreign newspapers.
Reports in domestic newspapers.
Thanks to the famous director and writer Mr. Wang Dapeng for writing the article for me.
In June 1992, I brought my 21-month-old daughter to the United States to accompany my husband to study abroad. In Madison, Wisconsin, a warm-hearted friend invited us to join him on his boat. Before coming, on May 31, I performed magic on a large-scale live performance of Wuhan TV Station to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the “Yanzuo Speech” hosted by Zhang Kaili, the star of “Desire,” and joined by Weng Hong and Cai Guoqing.
I am proud that I was able to obtain an “extraordinary ability” path to citizenship for my family as immigrants to the United States.
Thanks to my wonderful daughter for including me in her essay.
My daughter’s Chinese homework.
I am very happy and enjoying my life now with my golf friends in Tampa, USA.
