We all know Chinese gymnasts, acrobats and the like are trained from when they are really young. But this is almost disturbing... a tiny three-year-old tightrope walker walking across a high wire barehanded...and with six hungry Siberian tigers growling below.<br /><br />ACTake a look at this… a three-year-old Chinese girl achieved quite a feat. She is seen here walking on a thin wire barehanded above six hungry Siberian tigers at a zoo in China’s eastern Jiangsu Province.<br /><br />On her first step, Zhang Xiaoyan of the Jiangxi Elite Children Arts Troupe was nearly blown off the wire by a strong gust of wind in front of a worried audience. <br /><br />[...] <br /><br />[Zhang Xiaoyan, Acrobat]: (Mandarin, female) <br />"I am afraid of the tigers standing below, as they can bite." <br /><br />Zhang's performance was set to challenge performer Adili Wuxor, who in 1997 attracted the world's attention by walking across the Yangtze River in the fastest speed ever recorded. The stunt established a new Guinness World Record and won him the title of "Prince of High-wire Walking."<br /><br />Zhang started training when she was just a year old. <br /><br />[Zhang Xiaoyan, Acrobat]: (Mandarin, female) <br />"Yes, I do (like tightrope walking), because I started from a very young age." <br /><br />Spectators were impressed, but not her father, who is also the director of the troupe.<br /><br />[Zhang Shenwen, Father and Troupe Director]: (Mandarin, male) <br />"She walked almost 200 feet yesterday when we did the training. She didn't do so well today." <br /><br />The girl failed three times before managing to walk about 165 feet. <br /><br />[Zhang Shenwen, Father and Troupe Director]: (Mandarin, male) <br />"I was a bit worried. People say tigers cannot climb trees, but one of the tigers jumped and another one climbed onto the tree yesterday during the training. I was so scared." <br /><br />The father and troupe director has drawn criticism for pulling the stunt which critics say amounts to child abuse.
