Shanghai ferris wheel to run circles around London Eye

SHANGHAI - China's wealthiest and most architecturally advanced city is planning to build the world's tallest Ferris wheel, running circles around the London Eye.

The Shanghai Star Ferris, due to start spinning by 2008 when the Chinese capital, Beijing, hosts the Olympic Games, will stand at 200 to 230 metres, stripping the world's tallest title from the 135m London Eye.

The 2.6 billion yuan ($NZ435) million) wheel is a further bid by a city once known as the Paris of the East to thrust itself into the international arena of business and tourism.

"The motivation behind the project is to set up a new landmark structure that matches the city's image as an international metropolis," the unnamed chief designer told the Shanghai Daily.

The high-flying wheel, in a butterfly-shaped entertainment and commercial complex, was expected to attract 12.6 million visitors per year, the newspaper added.

Shanghai, China's commercial capital, is already home to world's fifth tallest building, the 88-storey Jinmao Tower, as well as the 468m Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

- REUTERS