Tourists hung up over mid-air dangle

Tourists are stranded in mid-air on a chairlift at Xiangshan Park, after it suddenly stopped Sunday. Photo: Liu Gang
Nearly 300 tourists, including foreigners, were stranded in mid-air on a chairlift in high winds Sunday in Xiangshan Park.

The park, also known as the Fragrant Hills, attracts nearly 100,000 visitors a day during fall weekends to see the autumnal leaf displays.

The passengers were brought to safety after spending more than six minutes suspended above the ground from 12:31 pm to 12:37 pm, according to Xiangshan Park, although passengers claimed they were left dangling for longer.

Many filed complaints to the management department of the park, demanding an explanation.

"We stayed in mid-air for more than 10 minutes without any notice… It was like a nightmare, since I was afraid that I couldn't get to the ground. I saw a girl in tears, and calling out soon after the lift paused," passenger Liu Gang, who was on the chairlift, told the Global Times Sunday.

Liu said his chair was shaking from side to side in the wind, and he felt very cold.

When he went to the park's customer service office for an explanation, an employee laid the blame on the police department.

"An employee wearing badge number 6023 said it was the police who ordered the stoppage due to a 'political issue,'" Liu said.

This person even threatened him not to make trouble for himself or his company, Liu said.

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