Beekeeper creates coat of living bees - in pictures

Tania Branigan in Beijing-Thursday 10 April 2014 

It began as a bit of fun and became a personal challenge for one semi-naked man and approaching half a million bees. Crowds gathered in Chongqing, southwest China this week to watch - at a distance of 20 metres - as She Ping’s wife and five fellow beekeepers covered the 34-year-old in a “bee dress” made of 456,500 of the insects. It weighed 45kg or more.

"I first did this at 22, just for fun and out of curiosity. Later on, I would put on the bees just for the sake of making people believe I sell actual real honey," he told the Chongqing Evening Post. "The last time I did this, I put on a total of 15 beehives on my body, but today I’m breaking my own record [with 28].”

The beekeeper said he was “hot, suffocating and nervous” after his 40 minute ordeal and had been stung more than 20 times. His wife fears he will be badly hurt if he continues the stunts. But She added: “The only thought I had was to challenge and overcome myself.”

She Ping smokes a cigarette as he gets ready for an attempt to cover his body with bees. Photograph: China Daily/Reuters

Assistants get the bees ready. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Assistants use burning incense and cigarettes to drive away from the face of She Ping.

She Ping is almost completely covered with bees. Photograph: Imaginechina/Rex

She Ping shakes off bees after an attempt to cover his body with bees. Photograph: China Daily/Reuters

The bees swarm over She Ping. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

A bit more incense to keep the bees from his face. Photograph: Imaginechina/Rex

She Ping covered with a swarm of bees. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

She Ping is totally covered with 45.65kg of bees. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

She Ping shows the bee stings on his body afterwards. Photograph: Imaginechina/REX