Simply the Best! Chinese World Records

Population figures, economic growth rates, currency reserves, CO2 levels; you name it and for China someone has measured, calculated and produced a number for it. Quantifying China has practically become an international pastime! It is perhaps only natural therefore that the Guinness Book of Records, a company that has made measuring its business, will in 2012 open its 4th global headquarters in China.

Below we'll take a brief glimpse at some of the particularly Chinese world records that have been broken in the last few years for a glimpse into what new figures charting the weird and wonderful might lay ahead for 2012.

World's largest bikini gathering. Photo: lngqt.com

Ping Pong Balls and Chopsticks

It will come as no surprise that China holds the world records for most people participating in a ping pong rally (101 people, Shanghai 2010) and the largest number of participants in a ping pong tournament (1197 people, Guangzhou 2010). But there is more that can be done with a ping pong ball than hit it with a bat...

In 2009 Jiang Guoying set a new world record for 'the most times to spit and catch two ping pong balls with the mouth' with a total of 180. What new feats and records lay in store for the humble ping pong ball in 2012 is anyone's guess!

The chopstick also features heavily as a prop in Chinese world record attempts. The record for most chopsticks ever broken with a fist in one go is 43 and was set by Wang Hongxin in Beijing at the end of 2010. In the same year Zhang Yaping set a new record beating figure for 'the most marbles moved with chopsticks in one minute' at 15, which seems surprisingly low, but perhaps it's more difficult than it sounds!

China also sets the standard for most ping pong balls caught with chopsticks in one minute at 17 balls. This is definitely one activity we're remembering for our next marathon Chinese train journey! 

Martial Arts

So you want to be the next Bruce Lee, but spending years mastering the art of kung fu in some Buddhist monastic retreat sounds like too much effort? Then why not start with perfecting your walnut crushing fist technique first? Lu Yuehui did and holds the world record with a staggering 112 crushes per minute, that's over 2 per second! What!?

If on the other hand -pun intended- you have the walnut crushing strength of an 8 year old child (I struggle to open a nut even with a hammer), then why not plump for a record that requires more finesse. What about 'the most standing jumps onto raw eggs without breaking them'? The record for this is 6 and was achieved by Lan Guangpin on the set of Zheng Da Zong Yi (a Guiness World Records Special) in Beijing back in 2009. Surely it is time for someone to do better?

Another world record long over-due to be broken is 'the longest duration balancing on four fingers', which is 19.23 seconds and was achieved by Wang Weibao also on the set of Zheng Da Zong Yi (perhaps it's the effect of having the world's largest television audience that inspires all these record breaking feats).

People Power

China's huge population is always going to give it advantages when it comes to records which require highest numbers of participants. But still, 23,321 people simultaneously performing flag signals is impressive. Well done the Hong Kong Scout Association, which set this record at the end of 2010.

Old Chinese men idling away their time flying kites high above the city skyscrapers is a common sight in any Chinese city, but you would have probably stopped and stared if you were in Weifang City, Shandong on April 16th, 2011 when the world record for 'most kites flown simultaneously' was set with an impressive total of 10,465.

Playing football is also reputedly an activity for which we owe Chinese culture a debt of gratitude. It is perhaps not too surprising therefore that the record for 'most people keeping a football in the air' belongs to China at 1,377, which was set in September 2011 in Zibo City, Shandong Province.   

And finally, what do you get if you combine fervour for grand communist pageantry and modern market capitalism? Why, the world record for the largest gathering of bikini-clad women of course! The Communist Youth League helped 3090 bikini-clad women gather together in Xingcheng, Huludao, a swimwear production hub to set this new world record last year. 

Am I bothered?

Do you care that Li Guiwen holds the record for the longest distance driving on glass bottles at 60.19 m, that Wei Shengchu managed to insert a record breaking 2009 acupuncture needles into his head or that Zhang Wei created the world's heaviest 83.5kg bee suit? Probably not.
But record breaking in China is serious business. Perhaps it's to do with a nationalistic need for China to assert itself on an international level and be recognised for the emerging world power it is. Or maybe it's because in a country where you're just 1 in 1.4 billion there is more of a need to stand out from the crowd and assert your individuality and uniqueness. Whatever the cause, you can bet that in a country where superlatives (the most, the biggest, the fastest…) come easy, it's probably not too long until China tops the record breaking league table, which is good news for Guinness and number crunchers alike!
 

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