Photo TR: Yingze Park (October 4, 2011)

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

Today I went to Yingze Park in Taiyuan, Shanxi province in China. This park is very out of the way. I first learned about it when I read the entry for the park on RCDB. At that time, the park was listed as having looping coaster. Earlier this year, while look at the park on Google Maps, I saw a mouse coaster and alerted RCDB about this. I visited the park today and found a very odd suspended coaster there was well. This brings my total of finding 67 coasters that weren't listed on RCDB at the time of me finding them. Yingze Park is huge and surrounds two lakes. There are two different areas with amusement rides. This park could easily be branded as a Six Flags park or Cedar Fair park without having to add any thing to it as it features many rides such as a log flume, rapids, chutes, two double-decker carousels and many other rides. As for the coasters, Spinning Coaster is a spinning mouse from Golden Horse, a Chinese company. Roller Coaster is a double loop and corkscrew that is built over part of a lake. The suspended coaster is strange. The cars remind me of a Batflyer, but this coaster is not a single rail coaster. It features two rails placed very close together. In at least two places during the ride, the swing action of the cars is very good and reminds me of Eagle's Fortress. I think this ride should be called Son of Eagle's Fortress or Eagle's Fortress Jr. This coaster may lack large drops, but it still very fast in places. It is well worth seeking out if you visit China.

I am in Taiyuan-a city where not too many foreigners live. I my reason for being here is Yingze Park.

Many people were at the park today.

This huge building was in the park.

This boat took passengers on rides on one of the lakes in the park.

Here is the ferris wheel as seen from across the lake.

Yingze's Midway featured many rides.

The log flume at Yingze Park has a lot of theming.

Here is a shot of Yingze Park's spinning coaster.

Here is Yingze's looping coaster.

This drop was much longer than on most loop and corkscrew coasters.

Here are the vertical loops on Roller Coaster.

I was about to leave Yingze Park when I discovered something.

It is a suspended coaster. It looked like a Batflyer with two rails and a spiral lift.

Here is the spiral lift.

Here is a shot of the big downward spiral.

I took this photo while standing under the coaster.

Here is one last look at the suspended coaster at Yingze Park before I end my trip report.

[simon8899]

Really like your PTRs from the Chinese parks! and always those coasters that somehow blend Arrow and Schwarzkopf design elements....

 

Are the vertical loops the same size or is the 2nd smaller? If they're the same I bet the ride is intense.....

[Hilltopper39]

Wow, I always just assumed that RCDB.com was the be all end all complete source listing of Coasters in the world but considering that you have found close to 70 coasters not listed on that database is pretty amazing. Makes me wonder how many more unlisted rides are out there in the world?

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

The two loops on Yingze's Roller Coaster are the same size.

[XII]

Nice Photo TR. I really enjoy looking at Photo TRs from rarely visited parks.

[gisco]

Another nice find. I was about to ask how many you have found but I see it is 67 so far!

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

With the two coasters I discovered at the Shijiazhuang Botanical Garden, I am now up to 69 coasters.

[shivtim]

Thanks for all of your updates from China! It's really interesting to see these parks that are so little-known to Western coaster enthusiasts.

[RoCo]

Thanks so much for sharing these very rare looks at these Asian parks. So freaking cool.

 

How did that loop coaster ride?

[snowboard83]

Wow Darren...I just somehow located a POV of that suspended coaster. It might be the most screwed up coaster I have seen to date... I dunno if that thing can be deemed safe! The thing has to suffer from Bat-like problems! No banked turns! Also...with the cars trying to torque the track, it seems like the ride would need a spine. Ive never seen track like that before. Can't be a ride that will last too many years. Yet, I want to ride it badly!

 

For anyone wanting a look at this crazy awesome suspended coaster, click the link.

 

http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/44960104-1892895763.html

[Jew]

Keep up the great work! These reports are awesome. I think you might be making Richard jealous

[Mozart67]

Great PTR, Darren! That suspended..um..thing looks both amazing and horrifying. The park reminds me of Katoli's World, for some reason; not sure why, though. Thanks for documenting it and hope you had a blast!

[RoCo]

For anyone wanting a look at this crazy awesome suspended coaster, click the link.

 

http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/44960104-1892895763.html

 

That is pretty seriously awesome, up to and including the ride op taking a drag off his cigarette as the car returns to the station. I love the Chinese so much.

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

This park could easily be done as a day trip from Beijing. The park is about 20 minutes walk from Taiyuan station. I think it is about a four hour train ride via fast train from Beijing to Taiyuan. Yingze Park is well worth the effort to visit. There are three coasters, a chutes, log flume, rapids ride, ferris wheel, two double-decker carousels and dozens of other other rides. Yingze Park would be an excellent addition to TPR's China trip.

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

In answer to the question about how the loop coaster rode-painful. Once was enough for a lifetime, but I will go back to Yingze for Batflyer (the actual name of the suspended coaster). Batflyer alone is worth the trip to Yingze just because it is such a unique ride.

[RoCo]

Thanks for the reply about the Loop Coaster. Bummer, too, because it looks like the company that made that ride is making the new 11-inversion coaster for Jinling Happy World... http://www.rcdb.com/4278.htm?p=29897

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

I hope Jinling Happy World goes with a different company. The looping coaster at Yingze is painful. Stick with that suspended coaster there instead.