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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)