A look at some of China's standout Guinness World Records

From gravity-defying backflips to the world's tallest man, Guinness World Records has spent decades cataloguing feats that are as amazing as they are unexpected.

China has emerged as an impressive contender in those pages, setting records that span sport, technology, architecture and beyond.

With the 2027 edition recently released, here's a look back at some of the country's remarkable entries.

They range from Beijing's world-first half-marathon for autonomous humanoid robots to the world's largest permanent hedge maze, proof that there's no limit to China's record-breaking ambitions.

China's first female astronaut At 33, air force pilot Liu Yang became China's first female astronaut.

She made history as one of three crew members aboard Shenzhou 9.

Born in Henan Province, Liu joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force in 1997.

Qualified as a pilot, she rose to deputy head of a flight unit with the rank of major and completed two years of astronaut training before being selected for the mission.

Her achievement placed her among the world's record-breaking female space explorers.

"I think I am lucky that I really caught up with a good time and I am growing and progressing with the times.

After the mission, many people asked me, 'Did you dream of becoming a astronaut when you were a child?' That wasn't the case.

I said a dream is often the brand of the times.

The first time I sat on a bus with my mother, I thought becoming a bus conductor would be great, as I could ride the bus every day.

As I grew up, I then wanted to become a lawyer, a doctor, a scientist, and I really didn't think I could be an astronaut," she told CGTN in a 2018 interview.