You’d expect the biggest Ferris wheel to be in China wouldn’t you? After all this is the country of superlatives; biggest, tallest, fastest! In fact the current tallest Ferris wheel is in Singapore!
The Singapore Flyer opened to the public on 1 March 2008 and is built on reclaimed land at the Marina Centre. The observation wheel is the equivalent of a 42 storey building and rises to 165 meters (541 feet).
The Singapore Flyer eclipses the two previous tallest Ferris wheels; Star of Nanchang in China’s Jiangxi Province which held the title from 2006 to 2008 and sits at 160m (525 feet) tall. Currently the third tallest Ferris wheel is the London Eye on the capital’s Southbank and which is rather dwarfed by the Singapore Flyer at ‘just’ 135m (443feet), which held the title for six years from 2000.
The Singapore Flyer offers stunning views out over the cityscape and as far as 28 miles on a clear day. Tickets on the first three days were hotter than hot – retailing at 6,271 USD!
There are a total of 28 capsules on the Flyer that each hold 28 passengers in air conditioned comfort. One rotation takes 30 minutes and the wheel direction has been aligned to comply with feng shui principles.
Dubai set to construct the biggest Ferris Wheel in the world
However, the Singapore Flyer’s status as the tallest Ferris wheel in the world could soon come to an end with the news that Dubai plans to build its own wheel. And what a beast it will be – plans suggest it will be 210 meters tall – a full 45 meters taller than the Singapore Wheel!
Located on prestigious Jumeirah Beach the project is set to cost around 1.6 billion USD and will attract 3 million visitors annually. Construction will begin in June and take 2 years. The Dubai wheel will offer magnificent views of the seven star luxury Burj Al Arab hotel, Palm Jumeirah and Burj Khalifa – currently the tallest building in the world, at least until Changsha in China opens!
