A video by the name of Dancing on Water: The Chinese Art of Bamboo Drifting (漂流) became an Internet hit months ago. It shows people balancing (保持平衡) on thin bamboo poles ( 杆 ), moving along the Chishui River in Guizhou Province. Not only do these people balance on these poles, but they also dance, perform, and play sports.
Bamboo drifting may be strange to the outside world, but to many in Southwestern China's Guizhou Province, it is an important sport and has a long history. During the Qin Dynasty, the ancient capital of Xianyang in Shanxi Province needed lots ofnanmu. They were from the Bozhou district in Guizhou Province. But how could people move them along the Chishui River, the first part of the journey from thenanmuforest in Bozhou?
Guizhou locals solved the problem. They each brought one log (原木) down the Chishui River, stood on their log as it drifted down the river, and guided it toward its next stop, the Yangtze River. From there people moved the logs onto boats and sailed north to the capital.
Later, the Guizhou locals began to challenge each other to jump from log to log, and so, wood drifting was born. During the Qing Dynasty, wood drifting became bamboo drifting, for bamboo is much cheaper.
Today, bamboo drifting is getting increasingly popular in Guizhou, especially among young people. Also, it is a much—loved activity among visitors.
