Ferris wheel becomes new city landmark

A distant view of the Ferris wheel in Bao'an Coastal Cultural Park. Shenzhen Evening News

A Ferris wheel, a key project of the Bao'an Coastal Cultural Park, caught the eye of the public and became a new landmark of the city with the opening of the park Sunday.

The Ferris wheel has a total of 28 gondolas, each of which accommodates up to 25 people in a 16.8-square-meter space. The Ferris wheel named Light of the Bay Area will open to the public before the end of the year, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

The Bao'an Coastal Cultural Park is located along the coastal belt of Bao'an Central Business District. Covering an area of 1.68 square kilometers, it connects with Qianhai cooperation zone in the east, the Dachan Bay port area in the west and Bao'an CBD in the north. The park is being developed in three phases.

Phase I of the project covers an area of 381,400 square meters and requires 12-billion-yuan (US$1.7 billion) investment. It includes an art and performance center, a business area, an entertainment area, a leisure area and a park. 

The art and performance center, named Voice of the Bay Area, also made "an appearance" Sunday and includes a 1,500-seat grand theater, and a 600-seat multifunctional theater with rehearsal halls, training rooms and other facilities. It is not yet open to the public.

The design of the Bao'an Coastal Cultural Park Phase I project won an honorary award from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

It is divided into three themed areas, the art-themed area in the east of the park that comprises the Ferris wheel square, waterfront landscape, sightseeing promenade and coastal entertainment venues; the cultural-themed area in the central area that includes a square for ceremonial occasions, music fountain, light shows and an arts and performance center; and the sports-themed area in the west of the park that includes a park for children, a park for roller skating and skiing, adventure park and coastal fun park.

Bao'an is on the key node of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and core area for the coordinated development of cities on the banks of Pearl River.

It is building a one-hour transportation circle, culture and life circle of the Greater Bay Area by taking its regional advantage as the transportation hub for joint air and rail operations and the advantage of having the largest exhibition center, Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, in the district.