Author: Asia Book of Records Team

Khmer, the language of Cambodia has the longest alphabet among the languages of the world. This Austroasiatic language, affected by Pali and Sanskrit, has a total of 74 letters, consisting of 33 consonants, 23 vowels and 12 independent vowels. With about 16 million native speakers, it is also spoken in Thailand, Vietnam, and some parts of Laos, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Josephine Michaluk of Alberta, Canada, set a record for the maximum whole blood donated by a female donor. She began donating blood at the age of 22 in 1965, and has been doing so regularly for nearly six decades. She has donated a total of 203 units of blood, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Areen Masrour Barzani of Kurdistan set a record for leading the largest hiking event. He led a hiking group of over 800 hikers to a Kurdistan Region Mountain. The Kurdistan Mountain Climbing Federation, in cooperation with Visit Kurdistan Company, organized the event that saw hikers from various groups trekking the Mount Safin, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

The Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia set a record for organising an event where the largest number of Madison dancers danced. A total of 4,999 people joined in dance at the Terrace of the Elephants in Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province. The dance took place during the Angkor Sankranta 2023 festival held to mark Khmer New Year, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Angkor Wat (City Temple) in Cambodia set a record for being the largest structure of religion ever built. Enclosing 162.6 ha (401 acres), it was built to worship the Hindu god Vishnu by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the period 1113–50. With its curtain wall measuring 1,280 m (4,200 ft) the temple forms part of a complex of 72 major monuments that extends over 24.8 km (15.4 miles), as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Phare Ponleu Selpak and Phare the Cambodian Circus in Battambang, Cambodia, set a record for showcasing the longest show of circus in the world. The show continuously ran for 24 hours, 10 minutes and 30 seconds, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

The Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) set a record for organising the largest exhibition of origami hearts in the world. Nearly 4 million origami hearts were exhibited at the complex of the famed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia’s Siem Reap province to show support for the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the 12th ASEAN Para Games, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Deep Dive Dubai in the UAE set a record for the deepest swimming pool in the world. The swimming pool reaches an impressive depth of 60 meters and contains 14 million litres of fresh water. The attraction mimics a sunken city featuring submerged cars and rooms in an immersive experience for divers of all levels, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

The Dubai Frame at Zabeel Park, Dubai, UAE, set a record for being the largest picture frame of the world. It is a glamorous picture frame monument with a museum and observatory, and a lift that ascends 48 floors to a height of 150 meters, where a glass-floored viewing deck awaits. This worthwhile attraction offers views of old Dubai on one side and a modern metropolis on the other, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Souq Al Jubail of Sharjah set a record for having the largest lantern in the world. It is a 13-meter-high lantern that is officially recognised as the largest lantern ever made. Initially, the Global Event Management Group built this replica for Sharjah’s Ramadan celebrations before becoming a permanent fixture at the entrance to the souq, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.