Ten African students joined an acrobatic art school in Wuqiao of Hebei province in May. Starting from scratch, they train eight to nine hours a day, six days a week with the ambitions to master the ancient art. Photo by Zheng Jinran / China Daily

According to Li Qingmin, who is head of the foreign student department at the school, "The ministry covers all the costs to boost the spread of acrobatics and deepen the relationship between China and Africa."

Many former African students at the school have gone on to become star circus performers in their home countries, says Li, recalling a performance given by students from the school at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2006 for then president Hu Jintao and former premier Wen Jiabao alongside African leaders.

"It was a successful move to promote our traditional art for foreign friends," he says. "Now our project has become famous in African countries, attracting friends and families to come back."

A former student who trained at the school in 2003 went on to become the coach of Tanzania's national circus and later sent his 15-year-old daughter to the school. And a former student from Ethiopia sent his younger sister for training even though she did not receive sponsorship, says Li.

"Many of them can earn a salary of more than 300,000 yuan ($48,930) every year. It can be a changing point in their lives," he says.

"We are happy to see the good effects. Moreover, we are satisfied with the growing friendship between China and African countries."