Chinese giant Chang (6 photos)

The average height of Asians, particularly the Chinese, ranges from 165 to 170 centimeters. That is, these guys are not particularly tall. But in history there was one character whose height and stature would be the envy of any hero.





Various sources refer to the man as Chang Yu Sing. The giant's real name was Chang Wu Gou, he was born in Fushou, China, in 1845 and, before appearing before the Prince and Princess of Wales at their request in 1864, the almost eight-foot giant (the man was 2.44 meters tall) was best known for , which pleased the Emperor of China as his courtier.



It is not known why Chang decided to leave the imperial court and visit England, but perhaps he knew that he could make a lot of money by demonstrating his amazing height. During his visit to England, the reception given to Chiang exceeded even the wildest expectations. Literally thousands of curious visitors lined up to pay and watch the exotic giant speak and demonstrate traditional Chinese clothing and etiquette. Demand was so great that what was originally planned as a short visit ended up being a two-year tour of Britain.





In the following years, Chang toured Europe with various managers. Often he was exhibited on his own as a solo artist, and sometimes he was paired with a dwarf to emphasize his grandiose proportions. During his travels, Chang showed himself not just as a person whose only unique advantage was his height, but also as a smart intellectual. He learned to speak several languages, including English, German and French, and developed a love for literature. During performances, there was almost always a book within the giant’s reach.



In 1881, P. T. Barnum signed Chang for his "Greatest Show on Earth." At a salary of $600 a week, Chang was one of the highest paid entertainers of his time and proved himself worth every penny. Despite the fact that Chang was paired with a modest Chinese woman named King-Fu, who was hired to play his bride, fans persistently sought the Chinese giant.

The courtship was so persistent and intense that Chang was forced to talk about his openness to the relationship in almost every interview he gave. Because the topic of personal life has always been one of the first questions reporters asked.



Chang, of course, was ultimately smitten. While in Australia, he met a girl from Liverpool named Catherine Santley and fell madly in love with Kat for her beauty, honesty and character. They got married, the wife gave birth to two sons. The family lived in China for some time, after which Chang moved to Bournemouth, England.

After retiring from the big stage, Chang bought a villa on Southcote Road, where he opened a tea house. There he exhibited his numerous oriental wonders and communicated with the townspeople.

Fans and visitors respected the giant for his character and kindness. Chang enjoyed a quiet life until his beloved wife unexpectedly died in 1893.

Four months later, Chang died of a broken heart: the big heart of the kind giant could not stand the separation from his beloved.



His funeral was quiet, just as he wanted. 50 of his closest friends gathered around the oak coffin to pay their respects to the gentle giant. One of them summed it up by describing his friend Chang as accurately as possible as “a gentle giant, a giant of giants, enormous in stature, but with the kindest nature and a heart true and tender.”