For months now, images of a massive slide at a shopping mall in Shanghai have been spreading virally online.
Known as the Happy Slide, the 54-meter-long tube will allow thrill-seeking shoppers to go from the top floor to ground level in a hair-raising 16 seconds!
Well, finally the day has come for the slide to welcome its first batch of brave visitors, as CRI's Li Jianhua reports.
Up to now, the tallest such slide was to be found at Singapore's Changi Airport. It was opened in 2010 and is around four storeys high, which is about 12 meters. It's become a tourist attraction in its own right.
This new slide is in the New World Department Store mall in Shanghai's Pudong District.
Dubbed as the Happy Slide, the five-storey twisting tube has been undergoing rigorous tests in advance of a full launch.
Liu Le was one of the first to brave the slide. He made it down in one piece, but advised that he wouldn't recommend the experience for young children.
"I was really scared, because during those bends my hands felt numb. And then I came down; and more than that, I was scared, so how would children feel? Maybe some children who are quite curious and would like to try it or something, but I'd suggest it would be best not to let them."
The organizers stress that only those between the ages of seven and 50, and who are in good health, will be allowed to use the slide.
Even so, some people are still concerned about getting trapped in the middle, or worse!
Liu Haiying, from the New World Department Store mall's marketing department, says the slide has gone through intensive testing, so people don't need to worry.
"We spent almost a year designing and building it, and it's gone through a lot of internal testing, and we also invited the relevant government departments to give advice. Now it's fully ready. Tomorrow we will do some test runs and then open it up to our VIP customers."
Liu added they were also looking at ways of making the slide even more thrilling.
The Happy Slide opens to the mall's VIP customers from April 19, so as to get feedback on how it can be improved, after which, the slide will be open to everyone for free.
Credit: CRIENGLISH
