Gaojiao, or walking on stilts, was originally used by the Miao and Tujia people as a tool to wade through the impounded surface water. It was popular in the border areas of Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou provinces, and Chongqing.
At the Hunan Provincial Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities, Gaojiao project is divided into racing and dual meet. While in the National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities, there is only Gaoqiao dual meet.
The 13th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities will be held in Xiangxi prefecture and Zhangjiajie city in 2027.
To promote Gaojiao dual meet to be a national competition item and enhance communication and integration between sister provinces and cities, a total of 24 athletes from Fujian, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Hunan provinces were invited to participate in this competition.
Xiangxi Prefecture has a solid foundation and great strength in the Gaojiao project, with national champions such as Tian Shifang and Zeng Wei.
At the 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities, athletes from Xiangxi Prefecture represented Hunan in the Gaojiao racing event and achieved excellent results with 1 first prize, 5 second prizes, and 3 third prizes. In this competition, all six members of the Hunan Provincial Representative Team are from Xiangxi.
Chinese source: hunantoday
