Bao Xishun, the World's Tallest Man

No Ladder Necessary
For a while Bao played basketball for the national army team, but was sidelined by rheumatism. He returned to his native Chifeng City, where he quickly gained notoriety from the local media, who applied to the Guinness book on his behalf. He was declared the tallest living man in 2005.

• China on the Wild Side
• A Brief History of Guinness World Records