The performance was right by the side of the road, almost blocking the entire street. Several young boys held trays in their hands, asking the onlookers for money.
December 18th, Southeast Network - Strait Times (reporter Zhihong Zhang / writer Chaqing Mao / photographer) A boy no older than ten, wearing a thin costume, under the repeated urging of an adult, put a live snake into his mouth to perform what was called "swallowing a snake." Perhaps due to the boy's nervousness or the cold weather, the performance was not successful. This scene, however, left the onlookers trembling with fright. It happened last night at Bailong Road in the Huqian Mountain Villa neighborhood in Fuzhou.
A small minivan, a few children around 10 years old, a set of low-quality sound equipment and spray-painted signs — this was all that made up this wandering circus troupe. At around 8 PM last night, on the roadside in front of Huqian Mountain Villa, under the direction of three adults, the children took turns performing acrobatics such as crawling through small wooden barrels, climbing hanging ladders, and doing somersaults. During the hanging ladder performance, the children performed various actions at a height of 5 meters without any safety measures, making the onlookers extremely anxious. In between performances, the adults took the opportunity to sell "amulets" to the crowd.
"This is too terrifying!" said one onlooker. The theme of this circus performance was "man vs. snake," so during one segment, an adult pulled out a live snake from a box and had a 10-year-old boy swallow it. The boy tried several times but was unsuccessful.
It was learned that this wandering circus troupe came from Henan Province. Among its members were three adults and five children around 10 years old. One onlooker said that these children, who should be in school, are instead performing with this circus troupe. Are they being controlled, or is there another reason?
While the performance was ongoing, a citizen reported it to the police. Two officers arrived shortly after and ordered them to leave immediately. The reporter revealed his identity and asked the police to check the identities of the children, but they said this issue should be referred to other departments. Subsequently, the circus troupe packed up their things and drove away.
A doctor stated that live snakes carry many harmful bacteria, and swallowing one directly is quite dangerous. If gastric bleeding or esophageal injury occurs, it could lead to infection.
□ Related News
Six-Year-Old Performs on the Street, Lying Naked on a Bed of Nails
(Intern reporter Tianbin Lan)
A six-year-old boy lay naked on a board densely covered with nails. This scene occurred yesterday noon at Nanhou Street in Fuzhou.
At around 12:10 PM, the reporter observed at the scene that this boy was shirtless, bony, and after showing everyone the nail-covered board, carefully laid down on it. Then, a five-year-old girl in a red dress stood on the boy’s stomach for a moment before stepping off. Many onlookers were shocked, saying, "This is too scary." Nearby, a woman in her twenties dressed in black directed their performance.
After the boy finished his act, a four-year-old boy rode a unicycle around the area, collecting money from the audience, with some giving one yuan and others giving five.
At 2:10 PM, the city management officers arrived, and the circus troupe packed up their gear. The reporter followed them around a few corners to Qixun Street nearby, where a young man got out of a truck to greet the four performers. The man claimed they were from a family of acrobats, traveling from Anhui Province to perform here, "This is my wife, and the other three are my niece and nephews."