Beekeeper in China covered with record-breaking 240 pounds of bees

BEIJING, May 26 (UPI) -- A Chinese beekeeper broke a world record – by covering himself with 240 pounds of squirming bees.

Gao Bingguo, of Tai'an City, in the eastern province of Shandong, began the challenge early Monday, Sky News reported.

The 55-year-old veteran beekeeper has cultivated bees for more than 30 years, and was stung multiple times before breaking the world record.

Around 1.1 million bees at one point weighed down on Gao, the International Business Times reported. Weighing at 240 pounds, the bees shattered a previous record of 184 pounds – also set by a Chinese beekeeper in China's inland Shaanxi province.

Gao's fellow beekeepers were dressed in military camouflage pantsuits as they prepared their colleague for the battle of his lifetime.

Working together, they poured the pollinating insects onto his geared body. Queen bees came first, in order to attract more of the insects to fly and land on Gao's protected head, arms and legs.

Video footage showed Gao smoking a cigarette in a nonchalant manner, as thousands of bees swarmed over him then crawled over his seated body.

Luo Xing, a judge at the event said, "After we checked and searched [the] database, and witnessed it at scene, we announce, Mr. Gao Bingguo successfully breaks the record."