A girl from north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region plans to set a new Guiness World Record after eating nothing but soil for two months.

The girl, called Wuqibalaqiqige, became a minor celebrity after the media broadcast stories about her curious eating habits last year. TV stations as far flung as Hunan, Anhui, Beijing and Shanghai picked up her story, even Japan and South Korea.

The girl said she feels no need to eat normal food now that she has discovered how much she likes to eat soil.

She intends to stick to her diet and challenge the Guinness World Record for eating only soil, which currently stands at 2 months.

Her agent has contacted the Guinness Office in Shenyang and the challenge will kick off in April.

She will also launch a campaign for a charity that helps people suffering from unusual diseases. The girl has already helped a woman who suffered from insomnia for more than 10 years.

(CRI January 27, 2007)