RIP He Pingping, the smallest man in China... and the world

He Pingping, the world's shortest man, died of heart complications while filming a tv show in Italy on Saturday. He was only 21.

Born in Wulanchabu in Inner Mongolia with a form of primordial dwarfism, He Pingping was just under 75cm tall. According to his father, at birth He Pingping was small enough to fit in the palm of his parent's hands.

In January 2007, he shot to fame after taking part on a television program in Tokyo. In July of that year, he met with the world's tallest man (at the time), Bao Xishun, who incidentally was also from Inner Mongolia.

Says the BBC, he was admitted to a Rome hospital two weeks ago after suffering a chest complaint:

Mr He was in the Italian capital to take part in the filming of a television programme called The Record Show.

According to the TV production company Europroduzione, he had already filmed two episodes of the programme when he complained of feeling unwell.

"He started to feel slightly ill and we decided to take him to hospital. He entered hospital two weeks ago and had all kinds of tests, being a very special person he had to go though all sorts of tests. He went into intensive care three days after he was admitted," said Marco Fernandez de Araoz, communications director for Europroduzione.

He said that Mr He died on Saturday afternoon and, at the request of his family, his body would be returned to China to be buried.