清末民初的中國，新舊交替、西學東漸，整個社會日新月異，發生了翻天覆地的變化。雜技表演也在時代的脈動和流動下，有著不同的發展。故，本文先行了解雜技藝人的生活習俗，進而探討雜技藝人在不同的場域所呈現出不同的樣貌與其表演情形、演藝歷程為何，勾勒出一個近代雜技藝人的歷史圖像。本研究採歷史研究法與文獻分析法，透過蒐集相關史料，回溯過去，重建過去歷史。研究發現，雜技藝人承襲古老傳統以家庭傳授與拜師學藝為主，學藝有成後便自行成立雜技班或「跑單幫」至各城市「撂地」演出；較有生意頭腦的藝人則是以經營管理方式成立雜技團赴海外巡演或在國內各大城市演出。其次，隨著世界各國的馬戲團、魔術團相繼來華演出，帶動中國雜技有了一些新的變局。再者，日本帝國主義對中國的侵略行動也帶動一些雜技藝人參與抗日行動；有些雜技藝人因生活環境因素，不得不依附在帝國主義脅迫下生存，這兩者皆說明雜技藝人的能動性與不堪的遭遇。

The Chinese who lived in the end of Qing dynasty suffered an extreme change that the entire society changed through the alternation of timing and the introduction of western sciences. The acrobatic performance also has the different development under the pulsation and flowing of time. Therefore, this article would tend to understand the life custom of acrobat in advance then to discuss what the performance situation and entertainment progress are when they present acrobatics in different appearance in different field. This paper uses historical approach and document analysis to recollect and reconstruct the past history. The research discovered that the acrobat carry on the ancient traditions that learn acrobatics skills from family instruction or master. After already learn the skills, they would establishes the acrobatic troupe independently or “travels around peddling” to perform their skills on various cities. Some acrobats who have business brains would through administrate acrobatic troupe to perform on overseas tours or each prosperous cities on domestic. In addition, the Chinese acrobats seem to have some revolutions along with various circus troupes or the magic groups from abroad came to China to perform different skills. Furthermore, Japanese imperialism also caused some acrobats to participate the opposition for Japanese aggressive action. Some acrobats would be enforced to survive under the imperialism coercion because of their living conditions. Both of them could explain that the agency and bitter experience of acrobats.