Despite their relatively shorter average size compared to the world, China has a thing for extremely tall people. Born in 1966 in Shanxi Province, China, Zhang Juncai is one of the tallest people in the world at a whopping 7 feet 11 inches (2.42 m). “張俊才” in Chinese, he officially became the tallest living man in China as of November 23, 2010.
Who Was Zhang Juncai?
Zhang’s family was a group of peasants from Shanxi Province in China. Ironically enough, his family all tended toward the average height (5’8″). But Zhang’s growth spurt began when he was 16 years old, and he reached 6 feet 11 inches by the time he was 22. For comparison, John F. Carroll reached 7 feet 6 inches tall when he was 22 and the man could allegedly lift a car.
Until September 2009, Bao Xishun was officially recognized as the tallest man on the planet, having reclaimed the title from Leonid Stadnyk, who had previously refused to be measured by the Guinness World Records. Despite being taller than both of them, Zhang Juncai has never been included in a Guinness record which is curious. On a Japanese talk program, Zhang Juncai’s height was revealed as 7’11”.
Severe Headaches
Juncai’s growth almost never stopped even in his later ages where he reached 7 feet 11 inches at some point. But he was hospitalized in 1999 for severe headaches at the age of 33. A tumor in his pituitary gland was surgically removed to stop the pain. As a result, his growth stopped, and his height of 7 feet 11 inches was maintained after the procedure.
Since it was his pituitary gland that caused Zhang’s extreme stature, he could have otherwise continued to grow and became one of around 30 people in history who reached 8 feet or more in height. The pain was probably due to the enlargement of the gland and the resulting pressure on the skull.
The Results of His Condition
Zhang Juncai had a difficult time finding clothing and footwear that fit. He often returned to the little town of his birth, where he was the talk of the town owing to his skyscraping stature.
As a result of his gigantism condition, his heart was feeble, and his legs were weaker than normal. That’s why, in Guangzhou, he had many brain surgeries and radiation treatments.
Officially the Tallest Person in China
On November 23, 2010, Zhang Juncai’s height of 7’11” officially made him the tallest person in China, surpassing Bao Xishun by 2.5 inches but falling short by 4 inches to the Turkish farmer giant Sultan Kösen.
Zhang towers above the typical Chinese individual by a full 28 inches. His friend Yao Defen, also a tall lady of 7 feet 9 inches, got a head injury on April 16, 2009, and Juncai went to see her in the hospital. It was where Juncai received worldwide recognition from the media.
Unlike most other people in history with gigantism, Zhang Juncai is still alive and kicking today at 57 years of age, thanks to the advancements in medicine in recent years where the effects of oversized pituitary glands on extremely tall people are better understood and operations are conducted before hand to prevent organ failures.
