Brian Zhang · Tianjin, China
Born 2009 · Tianjin, China
BrianZhang
Seventh-Generation Inheritorof Chinese Conjuring
Magician, Junior Cultural Ambassador, and a young practitioner working at the intersection of living heritage, stagecraft, and international cultural exchange.
GENVIICONJ.
Age 13Credential 01National Program
China Centre for International People-to-People ExchangeMinistry of Education, People's Republic of China
Third National Showcase of Young Envoys for People-to-People Exchange
Invited to the national in-person showcase in Haikou in July 2022, Zhang represented Tianjin through performance, public presentation, and cultural exchange. His program included Wan Li Gui Cang.
- Role
- Invited performer and youth representative
- National Scope
- 250 participants from more than ten provinces and municipalities
- Institutional Status
- Hosted by a center of China's Ministry of Education
Age 13Credential 02Asian Games Cultural Diplomacy
Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee Officewith the China Centre for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education
“Sing the Same Song” at the Embassy of Nepal in China
In March 2023, Zhang entered the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing as a Young Envoy for People-to-People Exchange and performed Wan Li Gui Cang as part of an official Asian Games-themed cultural exchange.
- Role
- Chinese conjuring performer and young cultural envoy
- Setting
- Embassy of Nepal in China · Beijing
- Program Authority
- Joint Asian Games and Ministry of Education exchange series
Age 13Credential 03International Youth Honor
China Soong Ching Ling FoundationInternational friendship · youth development · public welfare
2022 Junior Cultural Ambassador
Zhang was named a 2022 Junior Cultural Ambassador and received the distinction in Beijing in March 2023, joining a global youth cultural initiative centered on presenting and interpreting Chinese art.
- Distinction
- Junior Cultural Ambassador
- Global Reach
- Participants across six continents and 41 countries in 2022
- Program Theme
- “My Favorite Chinese Art”
Lineage Authority / 02
Direct apprenticeship
MasterYang Xiaolei
Zhang began studying Chinese Conjuring and Western stage magic directly with Master Yang Xiaolei in July 2021. In August 2023, he formally entered the lineage as Yang's direct apprentice and a seventh-generation inheritor.
Current artistic appointmentMember, Tianjin Acrobats Association
Digitized lineage record
The living tree of Tianjin Chinese Conjuring
The reveal begins with Jin Lingfu, reconnects him to master Jiang Decheng, then unfolds every named branch into the present generation.
Jin Lingfu–Brian Zhang lineage routeOther recorded branchesUnnamed branches preserved from the source
Every named entry has been transcribed into a searchable tree. Unnamed branch marks in the handwritten record remain visible as archival placeholders.
Open the complete handwritten source record ↗
Repertoire / 03
A body of work
The practice is presented as an expanding repertoire—not reduced to a single signature effect.
01Lineage Repertoire
Chinese Conjuring
Traditional Chinese conjuring studied and performed within a living Tianjin lineage.
02Reworking Tradition
Wan Li Gui Cang
A reinterpretation developed from San Xian Gui Dong, with changes to both apparatus and method.
03Contemporary Practice
Stage Magic
A wider performance practice spanning Chinese conjuring, Western stage magic, and contemporary presentation.EXPANDING REPERTOIRE
The full archive will index each work by title, creative or technical contribution, major performance history, and surviving media—allowing the portfolio to grow with the practice.
Media Production / 04
Bilibili New Year Production · TianjinA production encounter with Liu Qian
When internationally known magician Liu Qian came to Tianjin for a Bilibili New Year production, he filmed with Zhang's lineage community. This image records Zhang's place inside that production environment.
Artistic Position / 05
Beyond spectacle
What remains
after the effect?
Magic must not be reduced to inconsequential tricks.
Art and creation must possess sincerity—and a soul.
Illusion can carry serious reflection on society and human emotion.
Origin / Archive Note
Before the titles.
Zhang began learning card magic at five. The childhood record remains at the end of the narrative: it explains the origin of the practice without defining his present public identity.
