The giant dragon slide at a Shanghai mall lets you slide from the 5th floor to the bottom in just 16 seconds

▲ This giant dragon slide was completed as early as February, but due to safety regulations, it has only just been opened. (Photo / from official Weibo)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Giant slides are very popular in Asia, and a mall in Shanghai has installed a five-story slide that coils like a dragon in the atrium—quite a spectacular sight. The slide officially opened to the public on the 18th, drawing many onlookers. However, some people have expressed concerns about safety.

This slide is located at Shanghai's Plaza 66 Pujian store,standing 19 meters tall and stretching 54 meters long with four turns—it takes just 16 seconds to slide from the 5th floor to the bottom. Before sliding, visitors must put their legs into cloth sacks.People under 130 cm tall, over 100 kg in weight, or those with heart disease or high blood pressure are not suited for this activity.

▲% Seasonal? Currently only open to VIPs. (Photo / from official Weibo)

Shanghai Plaza 66 Pujian is a mall under Hong Kong’s New World Department Store. Liu Haiying, General Manager of the Regional Market Department at New World, said in an interview with the BBC Chinese website, “Although there was no formal government approval (for the slide), becausethis project does not fall under amusement park equipment, we sought guidance from relevant departments such as the Safety Supervision Bureau as third-party advisorsand asked for their input and trial slides.”

Liu Haiying pointed out, “We really hope there is government oversight and approval... For now, this might be something quite new—having such a device in a mall, which doesn’t belong to special equipment, amusement facilities, or general decorations. So, there isn’t (such approval) yet.”

Liu Haiying emphasized,the slide’s design plan was reported to the design institute, and multiple internal tests have been conducted.

▲ The giant dragon slide takes just 16 seconds to slide from the 5th floor to the bottom. (Photo / from official Weibo)

According to Shanghai’s Morning News, Zhang Qiangkang, Deputy Director of the Pudong Safety Supervision Office, said the mall is responsible for the slide, butthe office required the mall to engage specialized design firms and professional construction teams during the slide’s construction, and for a third-party agency to conduct inspections. Operating rules, staffing, and emergency plans were also established, along with staff training..

“All these materials have been filed with the safety supervision department, but we will still require regular maintenance checks, and maintenance records must also be submitted,” Zhang Qiangkang added, saying the supervision office will conduct random inspections and will immediately demand rectification if any violations are found.