When it comes to China's "first giant", the first thing that everyone thinks of is probably Yao Ming .
Indeed, according to his reputation, Yao Ming is the "giant" of China and even the whole of Asia, but if you only look at height, there is still a person in Chinese history who is even taller than Yao Ming. He is Qing Dynasty_ span2span Late Zhan Shichai.
It is said that Zhan Shichai is 3.19 meters tall and is a veritable giant. Zhan Shichai later married a British woman and eventually died in a foreign land. Woolen cloth? As the descendants of giants, what happened to Zhan Shichai's children later?
Inherited father's height gene
Zhan Shichai was born on January 30, 1842 in Hongguan Village, Zheyuan Township, Wuyuan County, Anhui Province.
His father's name is Zhan Zhenzhong. According to the local county annals " Wuyuan County Annals ", Zhan Zhenzhong is "the chief of Hongguan, and he is eight feet tall." This means that Zhan Zhenzhong is very tall. The locals call it "Long Man".
Zhan Zhenzhong's first wife did not leave him any children, so he died of illness early. Later, Zhan Zhenzhong married a local woman and gave birth to four children.
According to Zhan's genealogy records, among the children of Zhan Zhenzhong, the second child Zhan Shizhong and the fourth child Zhan Shichai have inherited their father's tall genes, and they are more than two meters tall, especially the fourth child. Zhan Shichai is said to be over 3 meters tall.
Zhan Shichai was much taller than children of the same age since he was a child. When he was more than two years old, he grew to a height of more than one meter.
According to Zhan Qingde, a junior of Zhan's clan: "Zhan Shichai's height has always been passed down in the family, even the genealogy and our local county annals are written in."
It is said that once,Zhan Shichai went to the temple fair during the Lantern Festival with his mother. After walking around for a while, Zhan Shichai got hungry, so he got into his mother's arms and started breastfeeding while standing in front of his mother. When everyone saw it, they accused Zhan Shichai and said: He has grown so tall and still breastfeeding, regardless of the occasion, without shame.
Zhan Shichai's mother listened and explained with a smile: "My child has just turned two years old, he is just taller, don't scare him."
The people next to him listened Everyone was surprised by Zhan Shichai's height, and the story of Zhan Shichai began to spread.
However, when everyone heard the story of his father "Hongguan Changren", they were not so surprised by Zhan Shichai's height.
Because father Zhan Zhenzhong and his two children are too tall, the layout of Zhan's house is much more spacious and taller than usual. The height of the door alone is 3 meters high, and the bed at home is the size of a room in someone else's home.
With the growing age, Zhan Shichai also grew taller and taller, and finally even surpassed his father and brother, like a giant.
The local Hui-style architecture is already considered high. Generally, the height of the building is about five meters, but when Zhan Shichai stood by the wall, it was more than half the height of the house.
Taiping Rebellion During the period of the Qing Dynasty, the troops of the Qing Dynasty were beaten and fled everywhere.
Once, the Qing army rushed into Zhan Shichai's house and wanted to loot. At that time, Zhan Shichai was sleeping when he heard the sound and woke up. He stood on the ground like a giant. His father and brother also came to hear the sound. Ben The Qing army, who was terrified of being beaten, saw these people in front of them, like giants walking out of a myth, and was immediately frightened and fled away one after another.
Since then, the news of Wuyuan County being guarded by giants began to spread among the Qing army,Later, no Qing army dared to come to Wuyuan to loot.
Later, when Zhan Shichai was old enough to start a family and start a business, his parents let him go with his brother to work in a Yuyingtang ink factory in Shanghai.
Maybe because of his height, the people in the factory thought he was such a "stupid big man" that he couldn't do such delicate work, but surprisingly, after a period of study, Zhan Shichai was fully capable of making ink alone. work, which made everyone in the factory look at him with admiration.
Originally according to this work and life rhythm, Zhan Shichai's life may be the same as that of his brother: he made money outside, and he will return home in a few years, ready to marry a wife and have children, and live from there. Live a peaceful life.
However, his unparalleled and striking height meant that his life would not be so uneventful.
was spotted by a British businessman and went to the UK
When Zhan Shichai was working in an ink factory, he was seen by an Englishman by chance.
The Englishman was amazed at his height and thought it was a good business opportunity, so he thought of using Zhan Shichai's height to make money.
After some inquiries and introductions, the British businessman got to know Zhan Shichai, and directly put forward his own ideas, and promised Zhan Shichai that he would make a lot of money.
Zhan Shichai was very moved, so after much consideration, Zhan Shichai decided to follow the advice of a British businessman, use his height to gain attention, and then make money.
So, the British businessman ordered him an official uniform of the Qing Dynasty, and then let him wear the official uniform and take him on a tour around, so as to collect tickets from the audience.
And the audience has rarely seen such a tall giant, so they really bought it to see it.
But it didn't take long for their "tour" to be stopped, because according to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, ordinary people were not allowed to wear official uniforms, and because of this incident, Zhan Shichai was almost thrown into prison.
can't perform in China,So the British businessman came up with the idea of taking Zhan Shichai to the UK, to the US, and to exhibitions all over the world.
Because in the impression of Westerners at the time, Asians were generally thin and short in size and stature. Now that there is such an unprecedented Asian giant in front of us, it will definitely attract many curious people to come and watch, this is a potential Big business opportunity.
However, when the businessman told Zhan Shichai about his thoughts, he was opposed by Zhan Shichai, because he had never been abroad, was unwilling to be far from his hometown, and there was a language barrier, and Zhan Shichai was very worried that he would go out. The gate will never come back.
But he couldn't resist the temptation and entanglement of the businessman. The businessman promised him that he could come back to China anytime he wanted, and he paid Zhan Shichai more.
As for the language problem that Zhan Shichai was worried about, the businessman said that he would always be by Zhan Shichai's side. With his help in translation, there would be no language barrier.
In the end, Zhan Shichai agreed to the businessman's request and went to England with the businessman.
However, after arriving in the UK, Zhan Shichai found that life here is not as good as he imagined.
On the one hand, my daily work is to exhibit everywhere, that is, to stand in the exhibition hall for the audience to see. The work is very boring and boring, and this is not like in China, when Zhan Shichai can lean down and talk to the surrounding The audience chatted, but here, because he couldn't understand what the people around him were saying, Zhan Shichai was also full of bitterness and had nowhere to go.
On the other hand, British businessmen are getting worse and worse towards themselves. They are no longer as polite to themselves as before, but gradually become bossy. When Zhan Shichai wants to refute the businessman, he will be rejected by the businessman. threatened to return home.
Over time, Zhan Shichai's life became very aggrieved.
At the back, just standing dry can no longer attract the attention of the audience, so the businessman asked Zhan Shichai to learn acrobatics.
Because foreigners at that time liked to watch acrobatic performances, especially people from other places.They feel quite exotic.
And Zhan Shichai, who has been touted as "Asia's No. 1 Giant", will undoubtedly attract more attention if he performs acrobatics.
So, the businessman began to urge Zhan Shichai to learn acrobatics, but at this time, because of his homesickness, Zhan Shichai was no longer here, so he refused the businessman's request and asked the businessman to send him home.
However, this cunning and insidious businessman threatened Zhan Shichai and said, "If I don't make enough money, I can't send you back!" Hopeless, he can only be forced to accept the businessman's request, thinking about helping him make enough money, or saving enough money by himself, and then go back by himself after finding out the way back to China.
In this way, Zhan Shichai began to learn various juggling and acrobatics. Despite all the difficulties and hardships in the process, Zhan Shichai persisted in order to return to his hometown.
Later, with the efforts of Zhan Shichai, he really slowly turned into a professional acrobat.
With his appalling height and never-before-seen acrobatic performances, Zhan Shichai suddenly attracted the attention of many foreigners, and the wealth that followed has gradually flowed into the wallets of British businessmen.
Later, the British businessman even took Zhan Shichai to many other countries, such as the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, and Russia. Zhan Shichai has left his presence all over the world.
Having performed and exhibited all over the world over the years, Zhan Shichai gradually felt physically and mentally exhausted, and his inner desire to return to the motherland became stronger and stronger, but the British businessman refused to let him go and insisted on draining Zhan Shichai. worth every penny.
Started a family in the UK
In order to retain Zhan Shichai, the British businessman even introduced him to a British girl.
Zhan Shichai had no sustenance in his feelings for a long time, and he was homesick, so the appearance of this British girl suddenly filled his emotional emptiness, and the two soon came together.
Because this British girl is also wandering alone,So Zhan Shichai and the British girl entered the palace of marriage soon after.
With his wife by his side, Zhan Shichai no longer quarrelled home all day as before, and the British businessman also achieved his goal.
In the years of living in the UK and performing all over the world, Zhan Shichai has gradually learned dozens of languages such as English, French, German, Italian, etc., fully demonstrating his talent in language. It is also the reason why he decided to stay in the UK temporarily. After all, he has mastered the local language, there is no longer any communication barrier, and he can integrate into the local life.
On the other hand, because of his outstanding talent for language, the British government even gave him British citizenship.
With the local nationality, the company of his wife, and the more than ten years of living in a foreign country, Zhan Shichai has long been used to it, so the idea of Zhan Shichai wanting to return to his motherland and hometown is gradually being lived smoothed.
After having a wife, Zhan Shichai began to perform and perform with his wife. Through the years of cooperation with British businessmen, although his income was severely deducted by the businessman, Zhan Shichai finally saved some money, so he changed and left the UK. The businessman is in control, and he takes the idea of his wife to live independently.
Because such performing arts and performances cannot be regarded as a career in life, and I have long been fed up with the busy life of running around the world, so I told my wife about this idea, and the wife also agreed with her husband's decision.
So, the two decided to showdown with the British businessman and quit the show. The British businessman had already made a lot of money over the years, and he saw the firm attitude of Zhan Shichai and his wife, and finally agreed with Zhan Shichai and his wife. request, let them go.
After leaving the British businessman, Zhan Shichai and his wife settled down in a small town in London, England. Zhan Shichai also obtained a normal job in the embassy with the help of many languages he mastered. .
The life of Zhan Shichai and his wife is not rich, but they are happy and stable.
However, after a long time, Zhan Shichai thought of returning to his hometown again.
However, before this idea could be implemented, Zhan Shichai fell ill with a serious illness. After recuperating at home for several months, his return to his hometown was delayed.
After recovering from his illness, Zhan Shichai's body has not been as good as before. His wife was worried that her husband's body would not be able to bear the burden of the journey across the ocean, so she kept stopping Zhan Shichai, not wanting him to drag such a body back.
Not long after, Zhan Shichai's wife became pregnant, and now he has a child, and Zhan Shichai has no way to return to China.
A few months later, Zhan Shichai's son was born, and Zhan Shichai named him Zhan Zechun.
Zhan Zechun did not inherit his father's giant gene, but grew the height of an ordinary person.
Later, Zhan Shichai and his wife had a son and a daughter. Neither of them inherited their father's genes. The height of several children is not short, but they are far from the level of giants.
As he gets older, Zhan Shichai's desire to return to his hometown is getting stronger, but his body is getting worse day by day, and the desire to go back to his hometown is impossible for Zhan Shichai.
So, Zhan Shichai wanted to entrust this matter to his children.
The eldest son Zhan Zechun did not inherit his father's height gene, but he inherited Zhan Shichai's language talent. Zhan Zechun has been sensitive to language since he was a child, and he has been able to speak several languages since he was a teenager.
After graduating from school, Zhan Zechun also entered the language department of the government.
Later, Zhan Zechun learned about his father's unfulfilled wish over the years, so he took the initiative to ask Ying to work in the embassy, because only then would he have the opportunity to go to China, to his father's hometown, and to fulfill his wish for his father.
Son went home to visit family but was swept out of the house
Later, after continuous efforts, Zhan Zechun was finally transferred to work at the British Consulate in Shanghai.He could finally go home for his father.
Before leaving, Zhan Shichai carefully explained the address of his hometown to his son, introduced his relatives and friends in detail to him, and urged his son to express his apology for not going home for so many years.
Finally, Zhan Zechun came to Wuyuan County with his father's lifelong wish, followed the map step by step to find Hongguan Village and found his father's home.
However, when Zhan Zechun knocked on the door of Zhan's house full of expectation and joy, he was treated indifferently.
Zhan Zechun introduced his origins as soon as he saw the Zhan family, expressed his apology for his father, and took out a letter written by Zhan Shichai to his family.
But at this time, Zhan Shichai's parents had already passed away, and Zhan Shichai's older brother lived in the old house of the Zhan family.
And this brother made a fortune by making ink in the early years, and now he is a rich businessman.
He looked at the young man in front of him who looked very similar to his younger brother, and then looked at the letter in his hand. He had already confirmed in his heart that this was his younger brother's child.
But he did not recognize Zhan Zechun for a long time. He felt that Zhan Zechun had an impure motive for returning to his hometown at this time. kicked him out.
The angry Zhan Zechun returned to Shanghai like this, but he dared not tell the news to his father in the UK. In the end, Zhan Zechun chose to hide the truth. He didn't want his father to suffer such a blow. Later, Zhan Zechun returned to the UK to work. Since then, I have never returned to Wuyuan County.
On November 5, 1893, Zhan Shichai's life came to an end, and he finally died in a foreign land, but he could not return to his hometown.
After Zhan Shichai's death, Zhan Zechun, as the eldest son in the family, has been taking care of the family.And the mother finally enjoyed her old age in the company of several children.
Although Zhan Shichai has long since passed away, his story has indeed been preserved and passed down, mainly because of his height like a giant.
Until now, there is an alley called "Changren Alley" in Hongguan Village, Wuyuan County. At the end of the alley is the old house of Zhan Shichai's family.
As for Zhan Shichai's height, there has always been a debate in the outside world.
At the beginning, there were rumors that Zhan Shichai was 3.19 meters tall, but according to Zhan Shichai's coffin that was less than 2.6 meters after his death, his actual height may not be that high. The so-called 3.19 meters is likely to be British Businessmen deliberately released news for hype and publicity.
But how tall is Zhan Shichai? This issue may have been investigated without a license now, after all, so many years have passed, and only a few photos of Zhan Shichai were burned during the Cultural Revolution.
The mystery of the Chinese giant's height may be buried forever.
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