In this summer, I believe many friends did not miss the splendid opening scenes of Shanghai Disneyland! Similarly, the World Expo is also not only a grand event for different countries to showcase their science, technology, culture and creations, but also an amusement park where children can open their mind to gain knowledge.

Venues in different shapes, cute and lovable mascots, festival touring activities, and various delicious foods, all of these bring children countless happiness. When it comes to the amusement park, people may think of beautiful Ferris wheels first. The world's first Ferris wheel was born at Chicago World's Fair in 1893, which was a pioneer in building amusement parks at the World Expo.

I. The world's first Ferris wheel: The Ferris Wheel

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of the New World, the United States hosted the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, which was also known as the "World's Columbian Expo". The World's Columbian Expo was held in Jackson Park near Michigan Lake, far from the city center, and had the largest area in the history of World Expo by then. As a major tourist attraction, the Ferris Wheel was located in the center of the Midway Plaisance, and was the pioneer of all Ferris wheels.

▲  Ferris Wheel

The Ferris Wheel was designed and built by George W. Ferris, a Pennsylvania engineer, and was named after him. It was built to compete with Eiffel Tower, which was completed in 1889 as a landmark in France. The Ferris Wheel was 264 feet high, and cost US$380,000. It recouped twice as much as the cost by attracting visitors to ride, thus becoming the most profitable project at that World Expo. The diameter of the wheel was 250 feet, axle 45 feet long, which were unprecedented. The Ferris Wheel was powered by a 2,000 hp engine, with 36 wood boxes hung by clamps. It could accommodate 2,160 passengers, and paused every two seconds, so that the passengers could ride in turn at any time. It took 20 minutes for the Ferris Wheel to rotate a circle, so it could accommodate up to 4,000 visitors within an hour in the peak time.

II. Encyclopedia: What is Midway Plaisance?

▲  Midway Plaisance

In the late 19th century, consumerism began to rise in the United States, a new world power, and pop culture gradually became prevalent in its society. The life values of the mainstream society tended to enjoy entertainments. In such an environment, as the operators in the entertainment industry grew rapidly, they had strong desire to have an operating space in the Expo Site. Therefore, the Midway Plaisance was introduced at Chicago World's Fair in 1893, which brought strong sense of entertainment to the Expo. The Midway Plaisance incorporated a variety of popular entertainment forms in the United States, including sports, entertainment activities, pop music, circus show, reality show and even simulated war game.

▲  Map of Chicago World's Fair in 1893

▲  Midway Plaisance

After the Midway Plaisance was put into operation, it attracted a large number of visitors for that World Expo. The number of daily visitors rose to 150,000 from 30,000. From then on, such amusement park mode has gradually become one of the official events of the World Expo, and been considered to be a basic element for the success of the World Expo.

III. Popular Air Trip

After the Ferris Wheel was completed seven weeks after the Chicago World's Fair opened, Ferris, his wife, and his supporters were carried up into the sky slowly. After a short stay at the highest point, they were returned safely to the ground. With people's clapping and joyful shouts, Ferris moved through the crowd, and wanted to take the Ferris Wheel again at the position where the wheel stopped. It was a pride that over the past 19 weeks of the World Expo, the Ferris Wheel ran smoothly without any malfunction.

▲  Picture of Ferris Wheel under Construction

During the World Expo, the Ferris Wheel was so popular that many people took it again and again. It gave people totally different experience every time. People loved to spend 50 cents, a not cheap price at that time, to enjoy a wonderful 20-minute journey. So Ferris Wheel could be called a rotating cash machine at Chicago World's Fair. It was said that during that World Expo, the Ferris Wheel carried more than 1.6 million passengers, so the income of the World Expo was enough to compensate the economic losses of the Philadelphia World's Fair.

IV. Rugged construction process

Although the Ferris Wheel was very popular during the Chicago World's fair, brought an unprecedented shock and considerable economic benefits, and also unquestionably became the symbol of that World Expo, there were many ups and downs from the approval of its construction plan to its completion. In the early 1892, Ferris came to Chicago with full confidence and couldn't wait to tell the officials of the World Expo about the idea of the "great wheel". He showed the officials his sketches, a big circular facility supported by two high towers, which he called an observation tower. The facility looked like a bicycle wheel, but with a height of 26 storeys. 36 rectangular wooden cars were attached to the wheel, each of which had 40 chairs and also could accommodate another 20 standing persons, so the wheel could accommodate more than 2,000 people at a time. Officials were terrified by his bold idea. Though Ferris had taken into account all dangerous factors, he was refused on the ground that "No one will take it", just because the officials dared not to have a try.

▲  Picture of Ferris Wheel under Construction

In the spring of 1892, the exhibition organization work of the Midway Plaisance was in slow progress. In order to avoid economic losses like that in Philadelphia World's Fair, the organizing committee of the World Expo decided to authorize a promising young man, Sol Bloom, to take charge of the Midway Plaisance. Ferris' vision of the giant wheel gained his strong support. Following several negotiations, the organizing committee finally agreed to build the Ferris wheel temporarily, but changed their mind again the next day. It was not until mid-December when the World Expo was imminent with no more time that the construction proposal was finally approved since Sol Bloom was against all the odds and insisted on the design of Ferris.

Now you know how lucky you are! If the proposal were not passed then, we would have missed a global popular romantic landmark.

Popular Giant Wheels Around the World

The Ferris Wheel got a big success, so more later World Expos followed the example to attract visitors with Ferris wheels. What was more, the Ferris wheels came into vogue, and were imitated by many cities, becoming an important symbol of entertainment venues and a grand tourist landscape.

From Chicago World's Fair till now, the Ferris wheels, rotating for more than a century, tend to embody modern science and technology. The height record of the Ferris wheels has always been refreshing. The Las Vegas High Roller is 152 meters high. The Ferris wheel in Moscow is 170 meters high. The Singapore Flyer is even over 170 meters high.

Las Vegas High Roller

Russia Sparrow Hills Ferris Wheel

Singapore Flyer

British Airways London Eye/Millennium Wheel

Diamond and Flower Ferris Wheel

Wiener Riesenrad

Shanghai Jinjiang Amusement Park Ferris Wheel

The World Expo is really a miracle existence. Every World Expo has its own features and attractions, both spiritual and material, which will leave many treasures to people. The Chicago World's Fair brought the wheel in the mind of Ferris rotating in front of the world, giving us impression, romance and infinite daydream. New term will begin soon! Are you still strongly attached to the happy summer vacation? Then you can ask some intimate friends to enjoy the magic Ferris wheel together!