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Tightrope walker eyes latest challenge
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Askar Obulqasim scans a valley between limestone cliffs reminiscent of a classic Chinese painting as he plots out the terrain for his next feat.
He plans to string a 1,000-meter rope 300 meters above the ground in the Wulong Karst National Park in central China, then walk to the middle of it and sit down for an hour with a bottle balanced on his head.
Already the holder of several tightrope world records, Askar hopes to draw international attention to the profession known among fellow ethnic Uygurs as dawaz.
“I want to transmit the culture of tightrope walking to the next generation of children so that when we are gone, they can transmit it to the next generation,” he said after surveying the landscape below him.
Many Uygers consider the more than a millennium-old tradition of dawaz one of the noblest exports of their home region of Xinjiang, and pride themselves on doing their feats without safety nets. Fellow Uyger Adili Wuxor gained fame after spending 60 days walking on a tightrope in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium in 2010.
Askar, 42, who lives and works near Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, said the profession is less about athleticism than it is about resilience.
Rope walking has a long tradition among Uygurs. It’s isn’t clear how many dawaz practitioners there are, though prominent tightrope walkers can be found in many cities across Xinjiang. The most famous is probably Adil Hoshur, who appeared in the film “Kings of the Sky.”
Nowadays, when Askar is not looking for his next challenge, he can be found performing twice daily at Dwarf Empire, a theme park featuring dwarfs.
He and a fellow Uygur who goes by the single name of Anwar, 23, have a well-rehearsed performance involving stunts like lying down or running on the rope.
The Wulong walk is likely to happen in a few months, but an exact date has yet to be set.
After years of performing professionally, Askar said he is no longer afraid, but he still has his pre-performance routine.
Seconds before stepping on to the rope, he checks messages on his phone, utters a short prayer to Allah, grabs a long metal pole and starts walking.
About 10 minutes later, as he steps off the rope and puts back the metal beam that helped him maintain his balance, Askar is sweaty and out of breath, but a radiant smile shines on his face.
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