Eyelid-weightlifting raises eyebrows in China

China Daily via Reuters

Wang Xianxiang carries two buckets of water with his eyelids during a provincial festival for migrant workers in Shaodong County, Hunan province, Saturday.

BEIJING – Wang Xianxiang’s talent is an eyeful.

The 42-year-old fireworks maker from the central Chinese province of Hunan was photographed last weekend performing his signature trick: Suspending two water buckets with a combined weight of 9 pounds on plastic hangers hooked to his eyelids for a minute.

China Daily via Reuters

Wang says he is hoping to increase the amount of weight he can carry with his eyelids.

Wang entertained local migrant workers at a provincial festival near his hometown of Liuyang Saturday.

“When I first started it was extremely painful,” Wang told NBC News about his unique talent, “but after a lot of practice it’s just uncomfortable today.”

Among other talents he’s developed for the show? Having two men wrap a metal wire tightly around his neck while he talks to the audience, which he says has been in the thousands.

Wang, who is married with two children, said he has been doing his eyelid trick for five to six years and started doing it purely out of boredom. 

But as he increased the weight on his eyelids, he started to train – practicing for 30 minutes each morning and two hours at night. 

Wang’s family initially frowned upon his hobby, but slowly came around as his stature grew within the community.

When asked what his aspirations for the future were, Wang kept it simple. “I can currently hold 4.5 pounds on each eyelid, I’d like to push that to 11 pounds per eyelid.”

He was optimistic that he could accomplish that eye-popping feat by the end of the year.

NBC News’ Le Li contributed to this report.

Discuss this post

And all this time I thought it was from masturbating.

  • 5 votes
Reply#1 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:55 AM EST

That must come in handy.

  • 1 vote
#1.1 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:58 AM EST

Hole-e-smokey, good one.

    #1.2 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 8:40 AM EST

    he needs to stop that before he rips his face off. that is just disturbing

    • 2 votes
    #1.3 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:22 PM EST

    As a masturbator I could'a been a contender. Wuz robbed by a dose of the clap though.

    • 1 vote
    #1.4 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:47 PM EST
    Reply

    Chinese cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly popular as "the beautiful people" strive to overcome the social stigma attached to the epicanthic fold.

    • 5 votes
    Reply#2 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:57 AM EST

    What a freak; doesn't he have anything better to do with his life?

    • 1 vote
    Reply#3 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:17 AM EST

    3 billion people and this is the best they can come up with.

    • 5 votes
    Reply#4 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:12 AM EST

    Now that is just plain stupidity.

    • 1 vote
    Reply#5 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:27 AM EST

    This is inspirational! How about if we have weight lifting in which a man uses his erect penis?

    Probably only young men could participate in this. It would be called the Pecker Lift.

    I bet women of all ages would be enthralled!

    • 2 votes
    Reply#6 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:52 AM EST

    Great, now you have me wondering just how much I could lift...

      #6.1 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:05 PM EST

      you guys need to check out Tenacious D. they have a cock push-up skit on their first studio album that is pretty funny

      • 1 vote
      #6.2 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:23 PM EST

      Years ago I picked up over 200lbs with mine. She was ugly and I was intoxicated.

      • 3 votes
      #6.3 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:59 PM EST

      You're talking about "Iron Groin" gung fu where they drag weights around with their penises. I've never heard of "Iron Eyelid" practice, though. Not sure it has any martial applications. Ha!

        #6.4 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:07 PM EST
        Reply

        Beyond stupidity.

          Reply#7 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:44 PM EST

          When the weight finally rips his face off I'll just say I told you so.

          Anything to take their minds off their sh*tty Communistic existence.

            Reply#8 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:46 PM EST
            Reply

            It is irresponsible to print stupid stunts such as this. We have enough idiots already without someone trying

            this. Young men are just dumb enough to try and copy this fool. And how is this news we need to know ?

            By Ed Flanagan, Producer, NBC News you should be ashamed. You obviously should not have this job.

            • 1 vote
            Reply#9 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:58 PM EST

            The man should have better things to do.

              Reply#10 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:22 PM EST

              @ Ines-1159800 - if the idiots try it and kill themselves that is great...isn't it?? We don't want them breeding ya know.

                Reply#11 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:31 PM EST

                he has been told by his government that this is a perfect remedy for pink eye.

                  Reply#12 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:58 PM EST

                  Now that's a career choise....,

                    Reply#13 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:59 PM EST

                    I won't be impressed until someone drags a Hummer with his hemorroids.

                    • 4 votes
                    Reply#14 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:11 PM EST

                    Haaaaahahahahaha Brilliant!

                      #14.1 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:24 PM EST
                      Reply

                      What kind of people do this sort of thing. And WHY????

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#15 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:23 PM EST

                      That hurts just to look at it.

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#16 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:39 PM EST

                      Wonder how much moutai he drank before he thought this up?

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#17 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:00 PM EST

                      I can blind fold them with dental floss...

                        Reply#18 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:25 PM EST

                        More original than trying to lift something with something else. Impressive!

                          Reply#19 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:57 PM EST

                          Sleep........................Sleep........ your eyes are getting heavy...

                            Reply#20 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 4:59 PM EST

                            5000 years of civilization wasted on these people.

                              Reply#21 - Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:08 PM EST

                              And out of all the ppl in China, this is newsworthy because...?

                                Reply#22 - Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:59 PM EST

                                He should have a spot on Guinness World Record just like other "nuts". This is not surprising at all when there others out there doing what they do best - fire eaters, nail eaters, sword swallower, etc, etc. Believe me, there are lots.

                                  Reply#23 - Tue Feb 5, 2013 8:23 PM EST
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