Styles. During the prosperous Tang period (618-907) many styles of acrobatics appeared, including tightrope walking, pole climbing, horseback acrobatics, mock sword fighting, sword swallowing, fire breathing, and juggling pieces of jade. Some acrobats were also magicians or circus performers with trained monkeys, horses, rhinoceroses, and elephants. Tang acrobatic programs were often an integral part of dance and music shows. Members of ethnic minorities brought new skills to such shows. For example, a Tibetan was able to lie naked on the sharp points of two upright swords. During the Song dynasty (960-1125) military acrobatics were developed. Two of the ten Song armies, the "Left Army" and the "Right Army," were primarily acrobats who raised money and provisions through their public performances. To demonstrate their benevolence, Song emperors announced amnesties every year, and acrobatic shows were considered an essential part of such ceremonies. To the...