World's tallest man's wife, 2/3rd his height

Erdos(China): Known as the world's tallest man,

Bao Xishun, on Thursday got married to Xia Shujuan at the Genghis Khan holiday resort on the grasslands near Erdos city in China.

The couple had already got legally married in March, but they also wanted to have an authentic Mongolian ceremony, which took place on Thursday.

Earlier, Bao had put out marriage advertisements around the world, but ended up wedding Xia from his hometown, Chifeng in Inner Mongolia.

What makes the couple unique is that fact that, the bride is two-thirds the height of the groom and almost half his age. While Bao is 56 years old and 2.36 meters (7-feet, 9-inch) tall, his wife Xia is just 1.68 metres (5 ft 6 inches) tall and just 29 years old.

All in all fifteen companies hoping to cash in on his fame sponsored the wedding on Thursday, which took place according to Mongolian traditions.

"He has a very good image among us in Inner Mongolia. We plan to use his name as a brand to develop tourism. We want to better help and serve our hometown," said Bao's agent, Xin Xing.

One company sponsored everything from the liquor at the wedding to the shoes Bao wore. Other firm made a 2.9-metre blanket of camel hair just for the marriage.

Hundreds of people turned up to see the wedding. Xishun, arrived at the wedding venue on the back of a mobile yurt pulled by camels.

Dressed in a shimmering blue silk coat, Bao waved to the crowd before going into an enormous yurt where guests ate lamb and cheese and watched Mongolian song and dance shows.

Guinness World Records confirmed Bao as the world’s tallest living man last year. The Guinness World Records says Bao had normal height until 16 years of the day but then he put on a spurt that doctors were unable to explain and reached his full height in seven years.

After a career in the army, where he was recruited for a basketball team, he returned to Inner Mongolia. He now herds livestock and hires himself out for publicity stunts.

According to Chinese media, last December, Bao saved the lives of two dolphins by reaching deep into their stomachs with his 1.06-metre long arm to pull out pieces of plastic.

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