Ching Ling Foo

Ching Ling Foo (Chinese: 金陵福, 1854–1922), born Chee Ling Qua (Chinese: 朱連魁), is credited with being the first modern East Asian magician to achieve world fame. Born in Beijing, Foo studied traditional Chinese magic and was a well-respected performer in his homeland. During a typical performance, he stunned the audience by breathing smoke and fire or producing ribbons and a 15-foot-long (4.6 m) pole from his mouth. 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...