China is a land of superlatives: largest population, most mobile phones, highest economic growth rate in the last thirty years, most internet users, greatest wall… But with all the attention paid to the biggest and best records, we sometimes overlook the most ridiculous: while many watched closely as China’s economy overtook Japan’s, those cheeky Brits, no doubt sore that they are unable to complete with China for the world’s most expensive Olympic Games, stole the record for largest plastic duck race away from China. Some may take a dim view of the importance of races made up of rubber bath toys, or the need to hold onto the record for largest bottle of cooking oil, but these naysayers and doubting Thomases are missing the point – a record is a record. Like Deng Xiaoping said, “It does not matter whether the cat is black or white; as long as it catches the mouse, it is a good cat.” It’s an even better cat if it can walk 12 kilometers on its hind legs like a dog in Wuhan is being trained to do. Visitor’s to Beijing’s Lama Temple no doubt know that it houses the world’s largest Buddha carved from a single piece of wood (26 m/85 ft tall), but China is host to a slew of other weird and wondrous records – here are a few you may not be aware of.

China may now have the world’s most internet users but that doesn’t mean it’s abandoning tradition: residents of Luoyang sent 4,439 postcards from one location at one time in April, 2009, shattering the record of 3,316 previously set in Dandong. Seeing as only 20 people were tasked with stamping and sorting the cards, they probably also set the record for longest line at a temporary post office ever. That same day Luoyang scored another victory over Dandong by setting a record for the most people drawing simultaneously. It’s doubtful Dandong will take this upset lying down; stay tuned for the border city to reassert its supremacy by getting 5,000 people to complete a dot-to-dot drawing of Luoyang and then sending all 5,000 drawings, as postcards, to the city.

China’s weirdest records also portray a changing society: In addition to holding the record for raising the most people out of poverty (around 500 million), China now holds the record for the biggest golf course and most golfers on single course in a 24 hour span. Mission Hills Golf Club, thirty minutes from Hong Kong, has held the Guinness “World Largest Golf Club” record for 5 years running (and by club they mean size of the place, not the biggest driver or nine iron). "It took Pinehurst nearly 100 years to construct eight courses," trumpets Tenniel Chu, the club’s executive director "Our ability to build 12 in less than 15 years is a stunning achievement and indicative of our sincere belief in China as the breeding ground for golf's next generation of champions."

China is holding its own when it comes to culinary competition as well: heaviest pomegranate, heaviest chicken egg (a 201 gram monster from a hen that favours dog food), largest bottle of vegetable oil (5.12 m/16 ft 8 tall and containing 3,212 litres/706.54 gal of oil), largest cup of soda (containing 4593.7 litres/1010.47 gal of blueberry soda) and, not surprisingly, the world’s largest piece of dried bean curd – a record China will probably hold for a long time as not many people will be interested in making the 1.87 ton piece of dried tofu you’d need to be number one.

Chinese culture has long tended towards the extreme – the several thousand mile “long wall”, the 8,700 room Forbidden City or 8,000 soldier Terracotta Army – and that tradition of extreme tradition is still being upheld today. Dragon festival enthusiasts in wacky Luoyang have made a dragon puppet 5,056 meters (3.14 miles) long, after their plan for a 21 km (13 mile) concrete

dragon was put on hold due to concerns about environmental impact. Kung-fu techniques have made their practitioners capable of freakish acts of dubious strength. You don’t need a tow truck if Li Jianhua’s around – the guy holds the world record for pulling a car the longest distance with a single ear. As western-style weddings become popular, a Chinese man is taking it to another level, making a 1,579 m (nearly one mile) long train for his wife’s wedding dress.

Sadly, China’s dominance has been challenged in several key areas. The Middle Kingdom no longer holds the record for world’s largest man: Xi Shun the 2.36 m (7 ft 8.95 in) tall Mongolian who proved to the world the importance of Guinness-style records when he used his freakishly long arms to pull plastic out of the stomach’s of two dolphins, saving the creatures from a gruesome death, has been unseated by Turkish giant Sultan Kosen. He Pingping, the 2 ft 5 in (73.77 cm) tall/short man formerly known as the world’s smallest, has been upset by a 2 ft 2 in (roughly 66 cm) tall Nepalese man who dances, does karate and easily fits into a woman’s shoulder bag.

More disturbingly, the record for KTV marathon has now gone to Finland. Seriously, Finland?! Obviously they have a lot of free time during their endless, black winters, but if China wants to be taken seriously on the world record front they need to snatch this one back. No doubt China will quickly take the KTV marathon crown, just as the USA basketball team recovered from its devastating 2004 Olympic loss to Puerto Rico to triumph in 2008, but it needs to happen soon. Finland more then doubled the Chinese record of 214 hours by karaokeing for 446 straight hours, and their streak only ended because of an accidental infraction of the rules. The world’s largest pillow, biggest flute ensemble, even the world’s largest mosaic made out of baby pictures pale in comparison to this crucial cultural title. In an effort to do my part for my adopted homeland, I’m currently in the midst of vigorous training for the karaoke marathon. Come down to PartyWorld every Sunday to hear the world’s worst singing.
 

Related Links
The Overwhelming Records Set by 1.34 Billion People
Strangest China Stories of 2009…So Far
Freaky or Funny? Crazy Chinese Taxi Stories

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