A pair of acrobats have bamboo-zled fans with an astonishing series of stunts at the top of a 20ft pole in eastern China.

The pair filmed themselves performing for a stunned audience in Heze city, Shandong province, as one balanced the bamboo pole on his shoulder while the other scrambled up it.

One of the performers, Wang Fuquan, told local media he has been carrying the pole in performances for more than 20 years.

Footage of their performance shows Wang shouldering the pole as his partner climbs up to begin a series of gravity-defying stunts.

As the crowd gasps, the pair show how they can move from one acrobatic move to another with apparently effortless ease.

There is no protective measure during the performance and any mistake could mean serious injury.

Wang explained that he has to make constant tiny adjustments to his position to maintain a perfect balance for his partner.

He added: “We must find a way to remove the force generated by the performance above, otherwise he will definitely fall down when he kicks the pole, and balance is the most important thing.

“Therefore, although a performance may only last for two or three minutes, in fact, each time is a test of the skills of two people.”