This exhibition showcases the remarkable accomplishments made by China’s circus in the diplomatic field during three historical periods, including the exploring period of the PRC (1949-1978), the reforming period (1978-2012) and the prime period (2012-). Over the years, China’s circus has made outstanding contributions to China’s diplomacy by actively participating in diplomatic cultural activities. It plays an important role in bettering China’s international relations, ensuring a good international environment for development, expanding non-governmental exchanges and friendship with other countries and establishing a good national image.

China’s circus has a long history of more than 3000 years. It originated in the Pre-Qin period and flourished in Han and Tang Dynasties. In its heyday, circus used to be a must-see performance that emperors entertained foreign envoys and thus became a key factor of cultural strength. From Song and Yuan Dynasties on, circus changed into a folk performing art and related people-to-people communications were extensively carried out between China and other countries.

Cultural trade is an important domain of cultural exchange, while international commercial show constitutes a key part of cultural trade. In the wake of adoption of reform and opening up, HU Yaobang, then China’s leader, attached such great importance to international commercial show that he made comments on documents on three occasions.

At the key point of building up a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way as well as deepening reform and opening up as well as accelerating the transformation of economic development mode, the 18th National Congress of CPC was an extremely important conference.