Pole dancing has grown in China not merely as a fitness activity but also as a sport. In June 2015, China became host to the World Pole Dancing Championships, where contestants from 14 countries glided and coiled around poles for art and sport.
According to reports, the sport has become a craze that burgeoned into a $5-billion industry, and with China's growing middle class, pole dancing studios and training schools will continue to rake in profits.
“We have been creating the most professional and powerful unity across our different cultures and community ethics," said Kay Penny, Chairwoman of The World Pole Dance Association and Co-organizer of this year’s World Pole Dance Championships.
"We are also about contribution to our fellow sport dancing competitors. We are building a platform for the highest level of confidence and empowerment for both men and women on the pole,” Penny added.
In China, over 100,000 people practice pole dancing, with most of them girls who consider the sport as the "best physical cosmetics for girls."