China Environment

Where Do the Tallest People in China Live?

From north to south, it’s a world of difference.

Published

9 years ago

March 14, 2018

A physical anthropological study on height recently became a topic of discussion on Weibo: where in China are people tallest, and where are they the shortest?

A recent study ranking the average height of people living in various Chinese cities has triggered some discussions on social media.

The study, that was conducted by research teams from institutes in Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, and Jinzhou (China Institute of Physical Anthropology) establishes the average height of men and women between the ages of 22-40 from 31 different cities in 22 provinces around China. The outcome of the study indicates that China’s tallest people live in the more northern regions.

Specifically, China’s northern provinces of Liaoning and Jilin are home to the tallest people in the country; on average 173.45 cm for men and 160.52 cm for women. Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Hunan inhabit the shortest people on average (165.59 for men and 155.06 cm for women).

The table shows the tallest people in China based on the study.

In the study, one possible reason for the height disparity from north to south is due to latitude. As the latitude increases, so does the average height throughout the provinces. Another reason is the quality of life and economic development in various areas.

According to LiveScience, the tallest men in the world live in the Netherlands (183 cm on average), whereas the tallest women come from Latvia (170 cm). Even the people from China’s southern provinces are still much taller than the average height of those living in the country with the shortest people; the shortest men in East-Timor have an average height of 160 cm, and women in Guatemale have an average height of 149 cm.

On Weibo, reactions to the study results are nevertheless mixed, with some netizens saying they don’t trust its outcomes. Many people share their home province and personal height in hopes to prove the results are flawed – some also include the height of family and friends.

One netizen even introduced his own theory stating, “If you look at the CBA, you will see the tallest players are always from Shandong.”

Other commenters express their sympathies to the provinces where people are shortest. One commenter wrote, “Guangdong, height is no match to money” while another one claims that “great talent is the real measure of height.”

Meanwhile, some comment sections on the topic seem to have turned the discussion into a dating pool. “I’m 180 cm, and looking for a girlfriend,” one male commenter writes.

Top 5 tallest cities:

Jinzhou (Liaoning Province): 173.45 for men, 160.52 for women
Yushu (Jilin Province): 172.19 for men / 159.75 for women
Huai’an (Jiangsu Province): 172.19 for men / 159.15 for women
Haerbin (Heilongjiang Province): 172.05 for men / 160.34 for women
Baoding (Hebei Province): 170.88 for men / 159.36 for women

By Ryan Gandolfo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

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Ryan Gandolfo

Ryan Gandolfo is an Economics graduate from Miami who has worked and lived in Shanghai, Baoding, and Guangzhou. He is interested in China's growing role in the global economy and closely follows the development of major Chinese technology firms.

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China Animals

China Faces Unprecedented Donkey Shortage Crisis

“We have plenty of cattle and horses in China now — just not enough donkeys” (“目前我国牛马都不缺，就缺驴”).

Published

1 year ago

October 5, 2025

Manya Koetse

China is facing a serious donkey shortage. China’s donkey population is far below market demand, and the prices of donkey-related products continue to rise.

Recently, this issue went trending on Weibo under hashtags such as “China Currently Faces a Donkey Crisis” (#我国正面临缺驴危机#).

The Donkey Branch of China’s Livestock Association (中国畜牧业协会驴业分会) addressed this issue in Chinese media earlier last week, telling China News Weekly (中国新闻周刊): “We have plenty of cattle and horses in China now — just not enough donkeys” (“目前我国牛马都不缺，就缺驴”).

China’s donkey population has plummeted by nearly 90% over the past decades, from 11.2 million in 1990 to just 1.46 million in 2023.

The massive drop is related to the modernization of China’s agricultural industry, in which the traditional role of donkeys as farming helpers — “tractors” — has diminished. As agricultural machines took over, donkeys lost their role in Chinese villages and were “laid off.”

Donkeys also reproduce slowly, and breeding them is less profitable than pigs or sheep, partly due to their small body size.

Since 2008, Africa has surpassed Asia as the world’s largest donkey-producing region. Over the years, China has increasingly relied on imports to meet its demand for donkey products, with only about 20–30% of the donkey meat on the market coming from domestic sources.

China’s demand for donkeys mostly consists of meat and hides. As for the meat — donkey meat is both popular and culturally relevant in China, especially in northern provinces, where you’ll find many donkey meat dishes, from burgers to soups to donkey meat hotpot (驴肉火锅).

However, the main driver of donkey demand is the need for hides used to produce Ejiao (阿胶) — a traditional Chinese medicine made by stewing and concentrating donkey skin. Demand for Ejiao has surged in recent years, fueling a booming industry.

China’s dwindling donkey population has contributed to widespread overhunting and illegal killings across Africa. In response, the African Union imposed a 15-year ban on donkey skin exports in February 2023 to protect the continent’s remaining donkey population.

As a result of China’s ongoing “donkey crisis,” you’ll see increased prices for donkey hides and Ejiao products, and oh, those “donkey meat burgers” you order in China might actually be horse meat nowadays. Many vendors have switched — some secretly so (although that is officially illegal).

Efforts are underway to reverse the trend, including breeding incentives in Gansu and large-scale farms in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.

China is also cooperating with Pakistan, one of the world’s top donkey-producing nations, and will invest $37 million in donkey breeding.

However, experts say the shortage is unlikely to be resolved in the short term.

The quote that was featured by China News Weekly — “We have cows and horses, but no donkeys” (“牛马有的是，就缺驴”) — has sparked viral discussion online, not just because of the actual crisis but also due to some wordplay in Chinese, with “cows and horses” (“牛马”) often referring to hardworking, obedient workers, while “donkey” (“驴”) is used to describe more stubborn and less willing-to-comply individuals.

Not only is this quote making the shortage a metaphor for modern workplace dynamics in China, it also reflects on the state media editor who dared to feature this as the main header for the article. One Weibo user wrote: “It’s easy to be a cow or a horse. But being a donkey takes courage.”

By Manya Koetse

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Chapter Dive

Behind the Mysterious Death of Chinese Internet Celebrity Cat Wukong

“Dont believe the media,” Zhao Shuo said: “And also don’t believe me.”

Published

1 year ago

May 11, 2025

Manya Koetse

How did the death of a young stray cat lead to a online wave of grief and outrage over the past few days? It started with fans mourning a beloved Chinese internet celebrity cat, then turned into backlash against fake news, anger over animal cruelty groups, and suspicions that local officials were more concerned with controlling the narrative than finding the truth.

Although things turned dark quickly, it began beautifully light.

The journey of…