Ferris wheel prepares for final spin

After nearly 29 years and 9 million riders, the capital's sole Ferris wheel will retire on April 30, and will be later replaced by a bigger and more modern one, Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park announced on Sunday.

The 50-meter-diameter wheel with 36 colorful cabins cuts a conspicuous figure in he city, but its flaking paint, rusted pillars and small, cobweblike cracks in the cabin windows show its age.

Still, long lines of people wait below the wheel for a ride that would give them a bird's-eye view of one of the country's oldest amusement parks.