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The world is a big place filled with people with all sorts of talent. Is it any surprise then that Hong Kong should carry some of the quirkiest Guinness World Records? In a city of over seven million people, it’s no wonder that we should have a few amongst us daring enough to take on the daring act of record-setting. We have compiled a list of unexpected records you may or may not have known were made in Hong Kong, and personally, we think Hong Kong’s got one of the best Guinness World Records out there. One of them has even got something to do with dogs!
Believe it or not, the youngest club DJ in the world is Archie Norbury, who was four years and 130 days old when he played an electronic set at Bungalow on March 30, 2019. Archie played classic house music for over one hour, to the thorough enjoyment of club-goers. With a job market as competitive as we have it in Hong Kong, talk about getting ahead of the curve!
In true Crazy Rich Asians fashion, jeweller Lam Sai-wing built a washroom worth HK$27 million in his Hong Kong shop, made entirely out of gold and precious jewels. And by that, we mean everything was made of gold: the toilet bowls, washbasins, toilet brushes, toilet paper holders, mirror frames, wall-mounted chandeliers, wall tiles, and even the doors! Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and amber were incorporated into the ceiling design and even the washroom floor is embedded with 900g gold bars. Talk about drowning in decadence!
On December 1, 2019, the community of the Education University of Hong Kong hunkered down and collected the largest amount of letters to Santa 24 hours. Over 2,400 letters were collected, but 219 of them were disqualified for not meeting the requirements. Better hope Santa can find his reading glasses!
Love, love, love! The longest handshake chain in the world involved 3,434 participants and was achieved by the Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation on November 2, 2013. The participants included visually-impaired participants, students from primary and secondary schools, members of local organisations like Rotary Clubs, as well corporations such as Standard Chartered Bank. Massive team effort!
The largest human video game controller consists of 259 participants and was achieved by Sony Computer Entertainment in Hong Kong on November 1, 2013. What a cute and nerdy idea!
Only a few years ago, when zorbing was the hottest thing since sliced toast, Hong Kong group GP22 landed the world record for the most participants in a zorbing relay on April 25, 2015. A total of 237 participants were involved in this bizarre day activity that took a total of six hours to perform!
In an organised effort to keep them pearly whites pearly white, the largest number of people brushing dogs’ teeth simultaneously is a whopping 268 and was achieved by The Link Management. Taking place on December 9, 2012, the charity event in Stanley Plaza also hoped to promote canine dental care and hygiene awareness.
These days, fundraisers have to be creative in order to get people’s attention, and that’s exactly what drove the Ying Wa family. In an attempt to raise financial aid for a new auditorium at school, as well as bring together members of the school’s network, the Ying Wa family organised an event at Ying Wa School Campus in Sham Shui Po to secure the world record for the largest gathering of people wearing swim caps. 2,584 participants showed up and they still hold the record today.
Ever entertained the thought of being the king of housekeeping and bed-making? You would have to beat Chow Ka Fai first, who currently holds the world record for the shortest time taken to make a bed by an individual (in the challenging category of king-sized bed). Unsurprisingly, he has plenty of experience; he is a member of the housekeeping team at Cordis Hotels and he finished the attempt in one minute and nine seconds on October 22, 2018. Wouldn’t mind having him around to make our beds, too!
The longest line of tarts—in this case, egg tarts—consists of an impressive 2,333 tarts and was achieved by We R Family Foundation at Lok Fu Plaza in Hong Kong on December 9, 2018. The total length of the line measured 186.64 metres. If that didn’t already blow your mind, these numbers should: the bakers used a total of 777 eggs, 11.664 kg of sugar, 23.33 litres of milk, and 108.87 litres of water to make the tarts!
One of the best Hong Kong world records (in our biased opinion) has to be this one. The record-setting amount of dogs balancing a treat on their nose is 109. This organised effort was achieved by The Link Management in Stanley Plaza on September 28, 2014, making them holders of two world records. This is what we live for, guys. These dogs are all very good boys, in our books.
Having lived in Hong Kong, Beijing, and London sure is a fun fact whenever people try to guess Ching’s accent. She loves switching between all these language channels and her “mother tongue” is just determined by how many drinks she’s had for the night! She loves movies, travelling, and exploring cities, from hidden alleys to gourmet dining, so feel free to hit her up if you need any suggestions for dinner!
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