Darwaz, meaning "walking on a rope in the air" in the Uygur language, is one of the traditional sports of the Uygur ethic minority and has a very long history.

A traditional folk acrobatic art of the Uygur people, Darwaz originated from China's western regions more than 2,000 years ago. It is said that in Northwest China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region only one family, who was the apprentice of Dawazi, was engaged in this performance art; hence the name. Darwaz is similar to high wire-walking in acrobatics, and the performers in general have great skills and exceptional courage.

On June 22, 1997, in order to welcome Hong Kong back to China, Adili, a young Uygur, performed Darwaz over the torrents of the Three Gorges. He crossed the whole distance in only 13 minutes and 48 seconds, setting a new world record.