Zhou Zhili
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Zhou Zhili, Female, Han, from Shaanxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Illusionism (Ⅵ-82). The tradition is documented in Shaanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Illusionism in Shaanxi: Zhou Huayi's magic is a traditional school of illusionism circulating in Shaanxi Province and the Northwest region. Zhou Huayi, stage name Zhou Jisheng, was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, in 1907. At thirteen he took Zhang Xiangchen as his master, and at fifteen he won wide fame for performing the large magic trick "The Eight Immortals Offering Birthday Wishes".
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Zhou Zhili is anchored in the documented technical standards of Illusionism in Shaanxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Illusionism in Shaanxi: In 1938 he founded the Huayi Magic Research Society, and later organized the Brothers Magic Troupe, performing for many years in Northeast and North China; in 1952 he founded the Shaanxi Zhou Huayi Magic Troupe, ending the long-standing situation in Shaanxi Province where magic performance consisted only of street performers setting up stalls to sell their art, with no formal performance troupes. The Zhou Huayi Magic Troupe staged a series of marvelous large-scale stage magic programs such as "The Water-and-Fire Pavilion" and "Hoop Transformations", attracting numerous troupes from across the country to observe and learn. Under this influence, magic art developed rapidly within Shaanxi Province; various places established a number of professional magic performance troupes, enriching the magic art of the Northwest region and enabling the people of Shaanxi and the Northwest to appreciate the wonder and charm of the magic arts. Zhou Huayi's magic is complete in variety, rich in content, numerous in programs, diverse in form, and natural in performance. According to incomplete statistics, his magic programs include 11 of the bottle type, such as drawing wine from a bottle and changing it into paper strips, and doves flying from a broken bottle; 18 of the box type, such as moving wooden blocks, producing objects from a small box, and guessing the three-color board in a box; 22 of the card type, such as performing cards empty-handed, spots appearing on paper cards, swords strung with cards, and cards multiplying from a spectator's selection; 26 of the flower type, such as producing flowers empty-handed, flowers appearing on candles, and planting flowers on the spot; 154 small hand-technique illusions, such as burning paper into ash that changes into a scarf, wheat straw turning into a dove, and cleverly escaping from rope bonds; 33 large-scale magic acts, such as the fire-escape box, the water-escape tube, blasting a live person, and dividing a body into four parts; and 32 classical stage magic tricks, such as "Twenty-Four Plates", "Bead Lamp", and "Nine Linked Lamps". Zhou Huayi's magic includes not only close-range marvels performed right before the audience's eyes, but also large-scale fantasy programs on stage. Sleight of hand and small illusions are wide-ranging and seamless; the large-scale stage programs are unexpected and infinitely changing, and the Chinese classical stage magic he performs is highly distinctive. Zhou Huayi's magic condenses the essence of traditional Chinese illusionism, enriches the cultural and recreational life of the people of the Northwest region, and demonstrates the innovative ability and artistic talent of Chinese magicians on the basis of their inheritance of traditional Chinese culture; it plays a positive role in strengthening cultural confidence and in spreading and promoting China's fine traditional culture on the international stage. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Water-Fire Pavilion and the Hoop Changes": Large stage illusions staged by Zhou Huayi's company, which drew troupes from across the country to study and inspired new companies in Shaanxi. "Classical tricks: twenty-four trays, bead lamp, nine-linked lamp": The thirty-two classical Chinese tricks in the repertoire, a branch the company performed with particular distinction. "Fire box, water tube, cannon and quartered body": The thirty-three large illusions of the repertoire, contrasted with the company's close-up hand magic. "Bottles, boxes, cards and flowers": The repertoire counted by category: eleven bottle tricks, eighteen box tricks, twenty-two card tricks and twenty-six flower tricks.
Water-Fire Pavilion and the Hoop Changes
Large stage illusions staged by Zhou Huayi's company, which drew troupes from across the country to study and inspired new companies in Shaanxi.
Classical tricks: twenty-four trays, bead lamp, nine-linked lamp
The thirty-two classical Chinese tricks in the repertoire, a branch the company performed with particular distinction.
Fire box, water tube, cannon and quartered body
The thirty-three large illusions of the repertoire, contrasted with the company's close-up hand magic.
Bottles, boxes, cards and flowers
The repertoire counted by category: eleven bottle tricks, eighteen box tricks, twenty-two card tricks and twenty-six flower tricks.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Zhou Zhili was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Illusionism, with Shaanxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Illusionism in Shaanxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2014 (batch 4), with Shaanxi as its declared area, and Shaanxi Za Craft Shu Troupe Co., Ltd. as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Zhou Huayi, stage name Zhou Jisheng, was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, in 1907. At thirteen he took Zhang Xiangchen as his master, and at fifteen he won wide fame for performing the large magic trick "The Eight Immortals Offering Birthday Wishes".
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fu Tenglong | Zhaoyang, Beijing | 05-2572 | Other regional school |
| Wang Xianpo | Pingdingshanshibaofeng, Henan | — | Other regional school |
| Zhou Zhili | Shaanxi | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。