Acrobatic adventurer climbs China's most famous mountains - balancing only on his palms

Many people struggle to hike using their legs, but one Chinese man has become famous for climbing his country’s most popular mountains on his hands.

38-year-old Sun Guo Shan only started practicing handstand climbing in May of 2023, but last year he embarked on a monumental challenge – to climb the 50 most popular mountains in China by Spring 2025.

Sun Guo Shan began his unusual challenge in May 2024, but he only went viral in November 2024, when a clip of him tackling Haibat – the highest peak of Wudang Mountain at 1,612 meters – using his hands went viral.

(Sun Guo Shan (pictured, right), 38, started practicing 'handstand climbing' in May 2023 after realising he wanted to improve his physical health)

(The 38-year-old, who comes from the country's Shandong Province, went viral last year when a clip of him climbing more than 5000 ft to the peak of Wudang Mountain while upside down caused an internet stir in East Asia)

(The 38-year-old went viral last year when a clip of him climbing upside down for more than 5000 ft to the peak of Wudang Mountain caused an internet stir in East Asia)

(Shan has climbed 34 of the 50 mountains he set out to conquer, including Mount Lajun, Mount Yunmen and Mount Wutai (pictured) - a sacred Buddhist site with its peak more than 10,000 ft high)

'This is the 34th mountain I have challenged and also the most difficult mountain,' he said.

'It has made me fall nearly 100 times.'

When climbing Mount Lushan, Shan climbed more than 700 steps to get to Wulao Peak, which is 4700 ft above sea level.

It took him three hours to complete the challenge on Lushan, one of China's most iconic mountain ranges which stretches 15 miles long and six miles wide.

(After climbing the 999 steps of Tianmen Mountain in Hunan, the adventurer said he had nearly fell 100 times)

(When climbing Mount Lushan (pictured), Shan climbed more than 700 steps to get to Wulao Peak, which is 4700 ft above sea level)

Ref: Acrobatic adventurer climbs China's most famous mountains - balancing only on his palms Photo Credit-dailymail