Chinese men climb terrifying ladder of sharpened knives in incredible ritual (PHOTO, VIDEO)

Villagers in China’s Fuijan province have marked a rare traditional feast by climbing a treacherous ladder made out of 36 sharp blades in their bare feet.

The squirm-inducing climbs took place in Zhongtuan, Wuping County as part of a festival to mark the end of the harvest season.

Large crowds gathered in Zhongtuan to join in the celebrations, which only take place every three years on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month. The custom of climbing a blade ladder dates back several hundred years in villages in the western part of Fuijan, according to Xinhua, China’s state broadcaster.

The eight-meter ladder comprises 36 blades which were carefully sharpened the day before. Senior villagers blessed those attempting the climb before they stepped – barefoot – onto the knives.

The first man to complete the climb sits on a chair on the top and hands out rewards to all those after him who reach the top.

Astonishingly, nobody was injured while attempting the task.

Climbing blade ladders is practiced in different parts of China for diverse reasons, such as by the Bai people in Dali city in the southwest province of Yunnan who perform the incredible feat as a religious rite.