Walking a fine line

Zhang Liang rests on the slackline at Puzhehei, Yunnan province. [Photo by Zhang Zefeng and Zhao Zhongjun/China Daily]

He also set a record for Chinese slackliners by walking a 310-meter-long slackline in Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, in 2016.

"Slacklining is all about tempering yourself," he says. "You practice until you are oblivious to distractions."

The sport is believed to have originated in Yosemite Valley, California, in the United States, in the 1970s when rock climbers looked for ways to hone their skills. Today, it is a rapidly growing global sport with variations, including "urbanlining" (in cities), "highlining" (above the ground) and "waterlining" (above water).

In China, slacklining is growing in popularity.

In the past seven years, the number of slackline walkers has grown from a few dozen to around 10,000.