Young guardian of Dawaz in NW China's Xinjiang

Beneath the clear sky, a tightrope stretched high overhead. Light winds swept over the rope and brushed the young man's shoulders. With thousands of eyes fixed upon him, he advanced steadily against the wind, firm in his resolve to pass on this heritage skill.

On September 1, 2026, at the Dawaz performance event of the 15th Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Games and the 11th Traditional Ethnic Sports Games in the Kashi venue, contestant Abdula Akrem gripped his balancing pole and stepped onto the tightrope.

After the competition, Abdula Akrem (first from right) shares the joy of victory with his teammate. (Photo by Media Convergence Center of Kashi Prefecture/Li Lin)

Spectators below whispered to one another, "Look, he's starting." It was as if any louder sound might unsteady the performer on the wire.

The slender tightrope trembled gently in the wind. When Abdula reached the middle of the rope, he swiveled his balancing pole steadily on his shoulder and launched into an aerial flip. A collective gasp erupted from the crowd below, followed by surging waves of applause.

Up in the stands, many visitors craned their necks to watch, capturing the breathtaking moment on their phones. A spectator in a sun hat slapped his companion's arm excitedly and exclaimed, "This young man is amazing! What a technically demanding stunt!"

Abdula was not quite his usual self that day. In his Douyin videos, he regularly wows audiences with Dawaz stunts like handstands, splits, and blindfolded walks across the wire, as if on solid ground. Yet on this occasion, his steps became noticeably slower. He said that in ordinary performances for a general audience, he only needed to showcase his skills and spread joy. Here, however, professional judges sat below the stage, scrutinizing every move and detail, leaving him nervous.

For the first time in his 13-year pursuit of the craft, the wire felt a little "thinner" beneath him.

Abdula Akrem won first prize in the Dawaz performance event. (Photo by Media Convergence Center of Kashi Prefecture/Li Lin)

What the audience saw were astonishing high-wire feats, yet few knew that behind this national intangible cultural heritage lies a courage handed down through generations. Abdula lost his father to illness when he was only two and a half, leaving him to face life's hardships from a tender age. At fifteen, master Dawaz performer Adil Wuxor took him into the acrobatic troupe, and from then on, he shouldered the responsibility of carrying on the Dawaz tradition.

Day in and day out, he trained on the wire, falling off time and again, only to grit his teeth and climb back up. Sweat soaked through his clothes, and his limbs bore the map of countless scars. What others saw as a terrifying height became the crucible where he forged his will and honed his craft.

Dawaz is never just a high-wire act; it is a living heritage of courage. Countless inheritors have walked the rope against the wind, unprotected and without a safety net. What drives them is not fearlessness, but the resolve to press on even when their hearts tremble. That courage to face the heights and conquer oneself is the most essential and moving core of Dawaz's legacy.

On the competition stage, his taut nerves and the wire that seemed to narrow beneath him were the truest test in his 13-year career. Technical mastery can be honed day after day, yet the courage to overcome anxiety, cowardice, and inner dread is the most precious inheritance this intangible heritage can offer.

When he completed the entire sequence of difficult moves with a steady finish, the audience broke into thunderous applause, cheering not only for his exquisite skill but also for his fearless courage.

With his composed and steady performance, Abdula Akrem took first place in the team Dawaz event at the sports games.

(The Media Convergence Center of Kashi Prefecture, Reporter: Li Lin)