Wang Yong and his wife Zhao Qian rehearse for a show. Photo: CFP

Zhao ducks as the last knife is thrown at her, missing the blade by a few centimeters. Photo: CFP

Wang throws a knife at his wife. He says audiences like to see him narrowly miss. Photo: CFP

Wang carries performing equipment off the stage. Photo: CFP
 

Even though the couple has been performing for years, Zhao still gets scared sometimes. Photo: CFP

Zhao Qian wore a long red dress and slowly stepped onto a revolving circular board and held firmly onto the handles. Her husband, Wang Yong, held up some forearm-long knives for the audience to see, and spun the board.

Then he took a deep breath, and started throwing the knives at his wife.

The knives landed around Zhao's head, arms and legs, outlining her body. As she spun, Wang threw faster, knife after knife.

Even though Zhao was unharmed, a video of their show caused a commotion on the Internet. Many even called Zhao a bastard.

"I trust him, because I love him," Zhao told media.

Zhao and Wang are a "post-80s" couple from a rural part of Central China's Henan Province. They were members of the same acrobatics class since childhood and started performing all around China in 1999.

Life on the road is tough. Every day they perform late into the night, and have to carry their equipment back to their hotel. Their son, now 11 years old, travels with them and helps out.

Their shows are risky and often controversial. Once they took part in a TV program but their performance was cut because editors thought audiences might be offended.

Even though Wang has more than 20 years of experience, accidents still happen. At a show in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province last month, Wang accidently hit Zhao's ear. It instantly started bleeding, and Wang broke down crying.

But there's no going back to the countryside now. Both have been in the acrobatics business since they were children.

"I can only stay in this profession, I don't know how to do other jobs," Wang told media.

Right now, Wang and Zhao's plan is to save some money and open a restaurant in a city so their son can at least go to school, Zhao said.

Global Times