CHING LING FOO
CHING LING FOO (1854–1922), whose birth name was Zhū Liánkuí, is credited with being the first modern East Asian magician to achieve world fame.
Born in Beijing, Ching Ling Foo studied traditional Chinese magic and was a well- respected performer in his homeland.
One of his sensational tricks had Foo using a sword to cut the head of a serving boy off at the shoulders. Then, to the amazement of the audience, the “beheaded” boy turns and exits the stage.
Another trick involved producing a huge bowl, full to the brim with water, from out of an empty cloth. He would then pull a small child from the bowl. When he brought his show to the United States in 1898, he began offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who could reproduce his water trick.
MAGIC SPELLS
