Yangzhou makes some four tonnes of fried rice to set a world record. (Photo/CFP)
(Ecns)-- Chinese people are reflecting upon the national craze for Guinness World Records, as 54.1 percent of respondents to a new survey believe that applying items should be more meaningful and generate positive social effects.
The survey led by the Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily polled 1,826 people online. Respondents aged 20 to 40 form the largest group, taking up 71.5 percent of the pool.
Of all surveyed, 44.5 percent think the world record should inspire average people to do extraordinary deeds, and 43.8 percent say that records based only on scale of participation or large expenses are meaningless.
The survey came after a decision earlier this week by the Guinness World Record headquarters to strip Yangzhou, a city in east China, of the record for the world's largest bowl of stir-fried rice.
As part of the celebration for the 2,500th anniversary of Yangzhou, 300 people spent four hours cooking 4.19 tonnes of stir-fried rice, a renowned Yangzhou delicacy, last Friday.
However, the Guinness inspectors found that 150 kilograms of the cooked rice was improperly disposed of after the event. Guinness states that all food involved in a record-breaking process should be eaten and not wasted, and so Yangzhou's record was ruled invalid.
Speaking of China's world record zeal, 43.2 percent of those polled think most of the events are superficial and lack creativity, while 33.3 percent see the world record as a powerful tool for business promotion or government propaganda.
Also, 47.9 percent of respondents think that Guinness should consider the social effects of those applying to break records, while 30.6 percent believe governments should stay out of such commercial activities.
