It’s going to be a while before most of us can visit Chongqing. But until that day comes, here’s a drone’s view of a really insane Chinese thrill ride that dominates the region’s Wulong Baima Mountain.
The ride’s been in operation since last year, but it’s the first time we’ve seen it and thought it might be new for our readers as well. The Flying Kiss is about a 2.5-hour drive from downtown Chongqing. Two giant moving statues slowly move guests above a cliff that overlooks the Wu River. Since the statues are about 170 feet high, and the cliff is about 3,300 feet about the river, thrill seekers hover pretty close to a mile above the scenic Wu.
This being China, there is of course a convoluted romantic story behind the statues:
The male statue represents Chaofeng, the son of the king of the sea. The female statue is the Purple Fairy, the daughter of the the king of the sky. When they were dating, they made the Queen Mother angry when they struck her carriage accidentally. She changed them into two hills with the Wu River in between them. Since then, they can only stare at each other from across the gorge.
So the “Flying Kiss” ride expresses the hope that two lovers can finally come together. The operators encourage couples to board separate statues so they can experience the near rendez-vous. Although there may be more to think about than blowing kisses when you’re a mile high above the River Wu.
If you’re wondering what keeps passengers from falling off the carousels, the answer is hardly anything; no safety belts, no harnesses, no seats. There is a fence around the circumference of the platforms, but the drone video seems to show it’s just waist high. This is seven minutes of hardcore romance, China style.
Critics seem impressed with the engineering. But the aesthetics are not to every taste. Some people think they look more like waiters holding dishes than lovers. Judge for yourself at 1:04. Still, it’s hard to beat the scenery.
Insane Chinese thrill ride
The drone work is less inspiring in the following video, but it’s a little easier to see how customers get on and off. There’s a disturbing shudder at the 0:28 mark.
Chinese amusement parks can be… different… from those in the West. Another park in Chongqing had to apologize for a publicity stunt last year that sent a full-grown pig bouncing on a bungee cord. Here’s the link. But I watched it and I’m sorry I did.
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