Screenshot of the Great Big Story’s Dancing on Water：The Chinese Art of Bamboo Drifting.

In the many, many years that past, the sight of a man standing on top of a great Nan wood log floating along the Chishui became commonplace in Guizhou.

As the Qin dynasty drifted into Han (206 BC-AD 220), the competitive spirit of the Guizhou locals came to the fore. Riders challenged each other to vault from log to log, compete in balancing acts, and take part in feats of strength – all while buoyantly balanced on the timber. And so, wood drifting was born.

Later still in the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), the trends in materials began to change with bamboo gaining favor, and so, wood drifting became bamboo drifting.

As bamboo is a much cheaper wood than Nan wood, the drifting games really got rolling. Every year, communities in Guizhou, particularly Miao, but other ethnicities as well, began swelling the dragon boat festival. Sure they were there to watch the racing on the river, but they also started competing in bamboo drifting competitions. The winners would be garnered with fame, flowers, tea, and wine – the losers would entertain the crowds with their splashy turns.

Today, bamboo drifting is rising in popularity in Guizhou, with younger generations taking it up, and more and more innovative and creative performances being staged.

The sport has even become enshrined in the Chinese Ethnic Games, a contest which takes place every four years involving traditional games played by all 56 Chinese ethnicities.

To the rest of the world bamboo drifting remains an entertaining anomaly, and an interesting aside.

“This is one of the best things ever,” said Glenda Spivey after watching the video posted to Facebook. Another user, Geri Hallisy, said, “Awesome, beautiful, talented, amazing!”

Yang Fan contributed to the story