A moment in time: Evolution of photos

Stilts shows are common in rural China during traditional festivals to add to the gaiety. While walking on stilts that can be as high as 1.5 meters, performers sing and dance to the beat of drums and gongs. Some even stun the audience with thrilling moves like jumping over tables. Nowadays, as China revives traditional folk arts, stilts shows, one of the country's intangible cultural heritages, are brought to the streets in towns and cities as well.

The photo on the right shows a stilts performer, dressed to portray Guan Yu, a Chinese historical figure, walking as passers-by look on curiously in a village in Gansu province during Spring Festival in 1992. In the photo above, people in the town of Yangyuan in Hebei province crowd the street to watch a stilts show during Lantern Festival in 2013.