August 08, 2008 Friday, 07:12 PM

Frankie Chee explains why the Singapore Flyer had to turn the other way.

THERE is no scientific explanation to Feng Shui, but the ancient Chinese art of seeking fortune and wealth through astronomy and geography was powerful enough to make a $240-million wheel turn the other way, literally.

That wheel is the 150m-diameter Singapore Flyer which reversed its direction last Monday, amidst other new features introduced at the Marina Bay attraction.

While in most cases it might have taken months of discussion and much persuasion to bring about such an about-turn, all it took in this instance was a few Feng Shui masters and four months of study.

Some of these practitioners had approached the management of the Flyer, Great Wheel Corporation, and alerted them that the wheel was turning the wrong way although it was sited perfectly.

According to them, the wheel was bringing fortune out of the land, instead of towards it, because it faces the financial district and then turns around towards the east and open sea.

The company was convinced and, after spending a six-figure sum, reversed the wheel and made it rise up on the eastern side and then turn towards the financial district – supposedly a sign of bringing fortune inwards and flowing to the city.

Of course, it was no mean task to make the 165m-tall structure spin the other way. Sensors had to be reinstalled and other technical implications had to be resolved.

Whether the change will bring queueing hordes to the attraction remains to be seen but, definitely, the attraction’s recent achievement – at the beginning of this month – of selling one million tickets within four months of its official opening could not be credited to the turnaround.

Now, we’ll see when the next million will come.