"People can eat and drink on the wheel while getting a bird's eye view of the beautiful scenery of the Bund and the Lujiazui area from different perspectives," said Cheng Guang, director of the city's Hongkou District, where the wheel is to be located.

Dubbed the "Shanghai Star"- a name which it shares with the city's English language newspaper - the ferris wheel will be up-and-running within three years, a perfect complement to the existing Jinmao Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Cheng said.

Any fears about the china and cutlery flying as the wheel spins have been addressed well in advance. With state-of-the-art technology and interior design, passengers will glide gracefully and dine undisturbed by the turning of the wheel.

Cheng was speaking during an inspection early this week by representatives of the People's Congress of the municipality, headed by Director Chen Tiedi.

The district has entrusted the design work of the wheel to some five companies from home and abroad, although the exact details have not yet been released.

The district where the wheel will stand has 3.66 square kilometres of rundown area to be included in the city's river regeneration project.

The general plan for the area has already been presented to the Municipal Urban Planning Administration for approval and is expected to be released early next year, a spokesman for the district, named Xiao, said.

"The renovation takes time, but will shape the skyline of the comparatively backward district and better people's living conditions a great deal," he remarked.

The city's successful bid to host the World Expo 2010 will serve as yet another boost in the drive to transform the dilapidated area as the city shifts its focus to the banks of the Huangpu River, he added.

(China Daily December 12, 2002)