Elementary school students in Shanghai set a Guinness world record for creating a display with the largest number of pinwheels on Saturday, according to Shanghai Great World Guinness.

The 81,863 colorful paper pinwheels were displayed at the Century Park, Pudong New Area, as part of a citywide charity campaign to help needy and migrant children.

Starting in February, the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Youth League has called on primary and secondary school students to make as many paper pinwheels as possible to help needy students from other provinces.

"It's more meaningful to encourage children to show their love to others by doing what they can, rather than simply asking them to donate money," said Wang Zheng, a committee official and organizer of the activity.

Upon completion of each pinwheel, Haha TV, a children's channel operated by Shanghai Media Group, will donate one yuan (US$13 cents) to Shanghai Charity Foundation's Haha Education Fund.

As of Friday, hundreds of students from more than 40 elementary schools had made a total of 81,863 pinwheels, earning an 81,863-yuan donation to the charity fund, said organizers.

(Shanghai Daily May 21, 2007)