Familiar with the giant Ferris wheel found in the heart of London? If the name ‘London Eye’ came to mind, you are right! Having the distinction of being the tallest of its kind in the entire continent, it was constructed a mere fourteen years ago in 1999. Since then, this mammoth structure has inspired imitations across the globe. Such structures include the ‘Star of Nanchang’ found in the Jiangxi Province in the Republic of China, which was erected in 2006 and the “Singapore Flyer” found in the city state in 2008, which also holds the record for being the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world.
While the origin of the Ferris Wheel can be traced to a landmark for the World’s Colombian Exposition in Chicago, constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, from whom the Wheel derives its name, the term ‘Ferris Wheel’ is now utilised for a number of structures ranging from carnival rides to observation decks.
The Tianjin Eye is one such Ferris wheel, similar in purpose to the London Eye in England. The Tianjin Eye, however, is believed to be the only structure of its kind constructed over a bridge. True to form, the Tianjin Eye is constructed over the Yongle Bridge found in the Tianjin region in the Republic of China. This Ferris wheel is only one of four other similar structures in the country. The other Ferris Wheels include the Changsha Ferris Wheel, the Suzhou Ferris Wheel, the Zhenzhou Ferris Wheel and of course, the world famous Star of Nanchang in the Jiangxi Province.
Construction on the Tianjin Eye commenced in 2007, and the Ferris wheel was opened to the public an year later at which point the Tianjin Eye was the third tallest of its kind in the world, only second to the Star of Nanchang and the Singapore Flyer.
For those residing in a serviced apartment Tianjin has to offer, a visit to the Tianjin Eye is more than warranted. The Ferris wheel is fully capable of accommodating up to 768 hourly while one rotation is thirty minutes long. It is, in fact, an ideal outing for first time visitors to Tianjin and staying at a serviced residence in Tianjin such as the iconic and architecturally mesmerising Somerset Olympic Tower Tianjin to get a beautiful view of the city’s skyline.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday.
