To make it easier for foreigners to remember her, Niu adopted the stage name Red Panda.
“Red is the colour of China, and pandas symbolise China. Putting these two words together represents China well,” she said.
In 1993, Niu performed at an NBA league game half-time show for the first time, showcasing her Chinese acrobatic skills for about five minutes.
Her signature act involves high-wheel bowl-balancing where she rides a 2.1-metre unicycle while tossing 16 ceramic bowls from her toes and stacking them perfectly on her head.
“Red Panda is the real Kung Fu Panda,” one observer on YouTube wrote.
That short performance catapulted Niu to fame, leading to a career in NBA half-time shows that has spanned three decades.
In her debut NBA season in 1994 to 1995, Niu performed in about 40 shows.
She earned up to US$5,000 per show, one of the highest salaries among half-time performers, according to the United States Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.
She also appears in the NBA 2K24 video game, making her one of the most iconic figures in the sport’s events.
In early April several renowned figures in American basketball called for Red Panda to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
“I buy tickets just to see Red Panda, the basketball game is just a side event,” said a US fan on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
Red Panda also has admirers on mainland social media.
“Acrobatics requires tremendous hard work. I admire her so much that I’m ready to jet off to the US to see her in person,” someone said on Weibo.
However, Niu’s journey as an NBA half-time star has not been without challenges.
Her first major injury as an acrobat happened when she fell backwards off her unicycle and broke her wrist.
In 2013, Niu’s father, who was also her teacher, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. She stopped performing to care for him, but continued to practise.
A year later, her father passed away, plunging Niu into depression, isolating herself from the outside world.
It was not until October 2015 that she decided to return to the NBA half-time stage, hoping to continue her acrobatics as a tribute to her late father.
“Every time before I perform and after I finish, I think of my father. His teachings gradually grow into new insights,” said Niu, adding that she had no intention of retiring.
“If you’ve put your heart and soul into something, even if it’s something different from what most people do, do not give up easily,” she added.
