Higher than both the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer, which open in March, the Beijing Great Wheel will tower 208 metres (682 ft) when finished in 2009, which would make it the highest and largest in the world. The giant ferris wheel will have 48 air conditioned observation capsules, each of which can carry up to 40 passengers, and on a good day even the Great Wall is expected to be visible in the mountains to Beijing's north.
The wheel will stand in eastern Beijing's Chaoyang Park, (just across the street from our apartment) where beach volleyball events will take place at next year's Olympics, and have far greater capacity than the London Eye. Costing a total of around 200 million euros (139 million pounds), tickets will go for about 100 yuan. The real attraction is the view and only secondarily the ride. It will be a unique experience to get a 360˚ view of the city. Located on the north-eastern side of Chaoyang Park, the 208-meter high wheel will take visitors for a smooth loop in about 30 minutes, promising an impressive view of the city on the chance it's a clear day. Each of the wheel's capsules, equipped with multi-lingual information screens, will be able to hold up to 40 people. A bevy of food, beverage and shopping options will surround the bottom of the wheel.
