The 4th Beijing pole-dancing contest at Hilton Zeta Bar offered everything one might expect: high-flying antics, revealing costumes, plenty of hooting and hollering, and diligent amateur historians taking hundreds of photos to ensure the night was properly documented and lives on forever.

Sure, there are lots of “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” comments at such an event. But anyone who can hang from a pole at 90 degrees while three meters above a stage and wearing heels — and still smile — well, let’s just say, it ain’t easy. I also saw many women at the event: quite a few of them, as well as some guys, were inspired to pose and try a few moves with the pole after the dancers had long gone.