Although Chinese acrobatics are a popular form of entertainment in the modern world, the actual beginnings of Chinese performing arts have been lost to history. It is known that they existed as early as the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE). During the Qin and Han periods, the Jiaodi  or Baixi variety show was popular with the common people. Jiaodi was originally an entertainment where men wearing horns charged at one another like bulls, but became a general term used interchangeably with Baixi to describe popular entertainment during the Han Dynasty. It consisted of a variety of acts such as conjuring, acrobatics, wrestling, musical performances, dance, martial arts, horsemanship, and juggling. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the scholar Zhang Heng was one of the first to describe the acrobatic theme shows in the royal palaces in his "Ode to the Western Capital", and Zheng described swallowing knives and spitting fire, creatures that transformed into another, as well as children who performed acrobatics on high poles. A grand acrobatic show was held by Emperor Wu of Han in 108 BC for foreign guests.

The performances became more elaborate during the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) and more popular in the Emperor’s court, and the acts became more refined. Eventually, the performing arts lost favor in the Imperial Court; they moved back to the common people and most performers performed in the street. Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the performers came off the street and started performing on stage. During the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it regained popularity with the Imperial Court and has remained a popular art form to this day. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the art forms have gained new respectability. Troupes have been established in the provinces, autonomous regions, and special municipals with theaters specifically dedicated to the variety arts. Some troupes have become world famous, playing to packed houses at home and on foreign tours. Favored performances include the lion dance performed on top of rolling globes, tightrope walking, contortionists, balancing acts while playing Chinese yo-yo, Shaolin monks resisting projectiles, extreme kung fu demonstrations, unicycling and bowl balancing, and fire-breathing.