A neighbour climbed through a building window barefoot to save a trapped child in China.

The five-year-old wandered out onto the window while playing at home in Mianzhu, in Sichuan province, south-western China on July 24.

Although her older sister and grandmother were supervising her, the child had somehow managed to close the window behind her and break the lock, leaving her trapped on the outer ledge.

Passersby on the street noticed the girl holding the guardrail with both hands and calling for help. Word reached the family's neighbour, Tang Changjiang, who lived on the sixth floor of the same building and had experience working at heights.

With the high temperatures making it harder for the girl to hold onto the hot metal railing, the situation grew more dire by the second.

Tang leapt into action and began climbing outside the building with his bare feet and hands to reach the girl sooner.

Meanwhile, other neighbours gathered on the street below and spread out any sheets and quilts they could find to grab the girl in case she slipped and fell.

Nail-biting footage shows Tang, dressed in black clothes, inching along the metal bars of a window right next to the girl, then finally reaching her.

Then, he grabbed the five-year-old securely and carefully lifted her back inside the apartment.

The 53-year-old man insisted he just did a very ordinary thing.

Speaking to local media, Tang said: 'I didn't know about this until my wife sent me a video. At that time, the little girl was in danger. 'Her feet were on the edge of the window sill, and her hands were holding onto the window frame. 'It's just a little effort. It's not a big deal.'