Liuyang City, China's largest fireworks-producing city, set off a 20 km (12.4 mile) string of firecrackers. It lasted for more than an hour but unfortunately nobody from Guinness World Records agreed to show up. The promotional event cost over $100,000 and many people in the region weren't happy about it. From Reuters:
"Unless the firecrackers are supposed to be part of a cinema scene of raging war, what benefits can come from setting off 20 kilometers of fireworks?" asked the Beijing Times…
Chinese towns have staged a variety of fantastic 'records', including the world's largest mooncake, the world's longest whisper and the most people ever to fit on a golf course.
"It's high time to call off applications for the professed 'longest' or 'most' records, such as 10,000 people eating hotpot and 10,000 people washing their feet together. They lack social significance as well as scientific and technical skills," said an editorial in the Guangzhou Daily, which called the event a "real burden for the local economy."
Link (Thanks, Lindsay Tiemeyer!)
