A 104-year-old tea grower and her 99-year-old colleague from
southwest Sichuan Province have been named the world's oldest
hot-air balloonists.
The two elderly women, Yang Zhangshi and her younger companion
Nie Qinglian, received certificates from the Shanghai office of the
Guinness Book of World Records on Saturday in their home village on
a remote mountain in Sichuan after taking a 30-minute flight 10
weeks ago.
"I've been growing tea on the mountains since I was a little
girl - I never even dreamed of flying," Yang said.
Yang and Nie were deemed the healthiest of all the 1,300 tea
growers aged over 85 working on plantations on Mount Heibao, on the
famous Chinese Buddhist mountain of Emei Shan.
They were offered a free hot-air balloon flight in a PR stunt by
Emeishan Xianzhi Tea Products Co Ltd, a local trader that buys
green tea from the growers and sells it worldwide to dealers and
consumers.
The two balloonists did not travel far - the balloon hovered 50
meters above a central square in Chengdu on March 31 next to a huge
company logo.
"It was great and I didn't feel sick or anything," said Yang.
"It must be the same as boarding an airplane."
Nie said she was excited when crowds of people began to applaud
and cheer on the square. "I have spent all my life growing tea in
the mountains and have rarely had the chance to go out."
"We arranged the flight to express our thanks to these
hardworking people and to celebrate their harvesting of green tea,"
said Yang Zeyong, the tea company chairman.
(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2007)
