Taking his first step at 11 am yesterday despite winds of force 6, 31-year-old Ahdili is expected to give performances on the wire for at least five hours every day, using a balance bar but without any safety belt.

The 25.5-millimeter-diameter wire spanned 415 meters from the beach at Jinhai Lake to a hill on the other bank.

"My performances will astonish you all," Ahdili predicted. "I will walk with my eyes covered, sit, sleep and even dance in the Uygur way."

Before starting the adventure yesterday, superman Ahdili said, "I am confident I will succeed." He noted that the windy weather was the fiercest he had ever encountered.

The designer of the event, Ping Jiu, said there is a 50 per cent possibility that Ahdili will not accomplish his goal, but he expressed his sincere wishes and good luck to the acrobat.

During the course of some 19 hours, including performances on the steel wire, Ahdili will stay in a room at the end of the wire that is outfitted with a telephone, computer, TV set, microwave oven, shower and toilet.

Born in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ahdili is a sixth-generation descendant of the Dawaz family, famous for their 430-year history of tightrope walking in the sky, a traditional Uygur acrobatic act.

Due to the strong winds, Ahdili failed to achieve his goal of a total of five hours of performances on the wire yesterday. The entire course of Ahdili's 22-day adventure will be supervised by the Pinggu District Notary Office.

(China Daily April 17, 2002)