Equestrian Acrobatics of Koguryo
Jo Myong Chol, Researcher of the Folklore Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences, says:
"The equestrian acrobatics of Koguryo with a long history was on the level as high as that of the contemporary one.
It is proved well by the mural paintings in ancient tombs in Phalchong-ri and Yaksu-ri which belong to around the 5th century.
The one in Phalchong-ri shows two horsemen performing feats while going around the men blowing big bugle horns and beating drums.
The one in Yaksu-ri depicts the men throwing hook-shaped things up in the air on galloping horses or lying face down on horseback.
They prove that Koguryo developed the equestrian acrobatics in a diverse way by creating many movements related to martial arts such as swordsmanship and spearmanship on horseback."
The equestrian acrobatics created by the people of Koguryo which throve as a powerful state in the East has developed into different genres including the "horse race", "formative horsemanship" and "feats on horseback", adding optimism to the stage of our acrobatics.