Bao Xishun, aged 56 and known affectionately as “The Mast” in his homeland, celebrated his marriage to saleswoman Xia Shujuan with a traditional Mongolian wedding ceremony that attracted hundreds of well-wishers. Not only is bride Xia two-thirds the height of her new hubby, she’s also half his age. But she confirmed these minor obstacles could not stand in the way of true love.

MSN Video – watch Bao Xishun’s wedding celebrations

Bao shot to global fame in 2005 after colleagues at the restaurant he worked in submitted his vital statistics to the Guinness Book of World Records. It turned out to be an excellent move as Bao pipped previous world record holder Radhouane Charbib to the title of world’s tallest man by a mere 2 millimetres.

Since his ascent to fame, Bao has used his unlikely celebrity status to boost tourism in China’s Inner Mongolia region. Corporate interest in his wedding meant that everything from Bao’s unfeasibly large shoes to the traditional lamb, cheese and booze consumed the couple’s guests were sponsored by a range of Chinese companies.

But Bao isn’t content just to use fame to generate cash, he’s also used his height to help the planet’s animals. Back in December, he was asked by struggling veterinarians to help the plight of two dolphins who were suffering from loss of appetite and depression after swallowing shards of plastic. Bao used his 1.06-metre long arm to reach into the dolphins’ stomachs and remove the offending objects manually. The dolphins made a full recovery.