Beijing to Get a Big Ferris Wheel, and Local Media is Excited

Beijing will have a large ferris wheel before October 1 – and local media seems very excited about it.

"Beijing to get Ferris wheel ... finally" is the way the Xinhua News Agency reported it in English. The wheel in question will be built at Shijingshan Amusement Park out west, and will stand 100 meters high when completed, almost double the height of the previous ferris wheel there, which was 55 meters.

The wheel will have 42 capsules and can ferris (is that a verb?) 7,000 people per day, Xinhua said.

Perhaps they think the public is still smarting from the Beijing Great Wheel debacle, which was supposed to be the world's tallest ferris wheel at 208 meters, but was never completed.

The big wheel is named for George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., who built the first one.

The ferris wheel will be the only operating amusement of its type when completed, with a target launch date of October 1. If you've felt that your Beijing experience has been missing a ferris wheel ride, now would be a good time to go and get in line for it.

Written by Steven Schwankert