Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: guinness record

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

BBC News - The world's shortest man, He Pingping, dies aged 21

BBC News - The world's shortest man, He Pingping, dies aged 21: "The world's shortest man, He Pingping, dies aged 21
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The world's shortest man has died in Rome

The world's shortest man, He Pingping, who was just 74.6cm (2ft 5in) tall, has died in Rome.

He was born in 1988 in Wulanchabu, China, with a form of primordial dwarfism, and was officially recognised as the world's shortest man in 2008.

He was admitted to hospital two weeks ago after suffering a chest complaint and died on Saturday, but his death has only just been announced.

Guinness World Records said he had made a 'huge impact around the world'.

'From the moment I laid on eyes on him I knew he was someone special - he had such a cheeky smile and mischievous personality, you couldn't help but be charmed by him,' said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief.

He Pingping in a file photo from 14/1/2010
He Pingping officially became the world's shortest man in 2008

'For such a small man, he made a huge impact around the world,' he added.

Mr He was in the Italian capital to take part in the filming of a television programme called The Record Show.

According to the TV production company Europroduzione, he had already filmed two episodes of the programme when he complained of feeling unwell.

'He started to feel slightly ill and we decided to take him to hospital. He entered hospital two weeks ago and had all kinds of tests, being a very special person he had to go though all sorts of tests. He went into intensive care three days after he was admitted,' said Marco Fernandez de Araoz, communications director for Europroduzione.

He said that Mr He died on Saturday afternoon and, at the request of his family, his body would be returned to China to be buried.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

70% of Ceramic Road completed in Ha Noi | Look At Vietnam

As much as 4,000sq.m of ceramic paintings have been completed, accounting for 70 per cent of the Ceramic Road project covering the cement wall of Ha Noi’s Tran Quang Khai dike road.

The project, which aims to decorate 6km of the cement dike protecting the city from the Hong (Red) River, is planned to be finished by August, two months before the 1,000th anniversary of the capital.

“This is a social art project for the whole community, which has been supported by various agencies as well as Vietnamese and foreign artists,” said Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, deputy chairwoman of Ha Noi’s People’s Committee.

Apart from ceramic paintings by Danish artist Michael Geertsen and French artist Dominique de Miscault, paintings by many other artists from the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain will be finished soon.

UNESCO will also sponsor a painting of Viet Nam’s intangible heritage portraying ca tru (ceremonial singing), quan ho (love duets), nha nhac (royal court music) and central highland gongs.

The project is set for a Guinness record for the Longest Ceramic Painting. When completed, it will consist of 21 ceramic paintings covering a total of 6,500 sq.m of the cement dike wall. They will depict various topics like art heritage through the nation’s history, decorative patterns on brocade, architecture of the 54 ethnic groups of Viet Nam, Ha Noi – City of Peace and contemporary arts by Vietnamese and international artists.

Most of the ceramic pieces have been made in Bat Trang ceramic village. They are glazed and then fired at over 1,200oC to keep their colours fresh over time.

Then, the pieces have been assembled at nearby workshops and stuck on the dike wall according to design.

VietNamNet/VNS

They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.