Singapore Flyer changed its direction

Singapore Flyer changed its direction because of bad feng shui? Seriously, that is one of most ridiculous things I ever heard. But let's observe more some facts.

• The final capsule was installed on 2 Oct 07, the wheel started rotating on 11 Feb 08 and it officially opened to the public on 1 March 08.

• Singapore's economy has grown 7.5 percent for the whole of 2007.

• Singapore PM, Lee Hsien Loon in his 2008 New Year Message on 31 Jan 07 expected the Singapore economy to grow by 4.5 percent to 6.5 percent in 2008.

• On today's press release, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) announced that Singapore economy is expected to grow by 4.0 - 5.0 percent in 2008. In the second quarter of 2008, GDP grew by 2.1 percent year on year, down from 6.9 percent increase in the preceding year. For the first half of 2008, the real GDP grew by 4.5 percent.
  

By giving those facts, does it mean that wrong direction in flyer has anything to do with slower economy? If so, why those feng shui masters only tell it now?
Anyway, the direction of the wheel has been changed, so let's see how the economy will head to. Going worse or better? If going worse, will the flyer be shut down?


Here is the quote of the news.

AFP - Saturday, August 9

SINGAPORE, Aug 9, 2008 (AFP) - Officials in Singapore have changed the direction of the world's biggest observation wheel because feng shui masters said it was taking good fortune away from the city, a report said Saturday.

The Singapore Flyer, which opened earlier this year, had originally revolved so that it rose to face the business district and went down overlooking the sea, the Strait Times newspaper said.

However, masters of the ancient Chinese art of geomancy convinced the wheel's management to reverse it so that it was not taking fortune away from the city.

"A number of feng shui masters had approached us to tell us that the Flyer is on the perfect site to pick up the good qi (energy) flowing into Singapore, but it was going in the wrong direction," said Florian Bollen, the Singapore Flyer's chairman.

"The Flyer was going against the sun and taking fortune away from Singapore."

Bollen likened the change to the "completion of a perfect movie" to give a better story, but added that it cost the company a "six figure sum," the report said.

For visitors now riding one of the wheel's 28 air-conditioned capsules, their view starts with beaches and housing estates in the east and culminates with a vista of the business centre.

At 165 metres (545 feet), or 42 storeys, the Singapore Flyer is 30 metres higher than Britain's London Eye, said builders Great Wheel Corp.

Despite being a modern city Singapore is a largely ethnic Chinese nation, where traditions still hold sway.