Fjord Flying Dragon at Happy Valley Tianjin

Fast facts

A wooden roller coaster at Happy Valley Tianjin in Dongli, China. coasterpedia.net

Manufactured by Martin & Vleminckx and designed by The Gravity Group. mvrides.com

Opened in July 2013, when Happy Valley Tianjin welcomed its first visitors. mvrides.com

The lift rises thirty-five metres above the park. mvrides.com

Its trains reach ninety kilometres per hour. mvrides.com

There are no inversions on the course. coasterpedia.net

The published operating capacity is seven hundred and eighty riders per hour. mtj.happyvalley.cn

The story of Fjord Flying Dragon

Fjord Flying Dragon was built for the opening of Happy Valley Tianjin in 2013. Its wooden structure was manufactured by Martin & Vleminckx to a design by The Gravity Group, bringing a substantial out-and-back coaster to the new park in Tianjin. mvrides.com· thegravitygroup.com

The completed ride opened to visitors in July 2013. Contemporary descriptions place it in the park’s Christmas Village, among the wooded northern reaches of the grounds and close to the great waterside setting of Dongli Lake. jendow.com.tw· travelchinaguide.com

Its traditional chain lift gives way to a long wooden course of plunges, turns and rises, with the train remaining firmly on the ground throughout. The result is an imposing piece of timber engineering rather than an acrobatic steel machine. coasterpedia.net· thegravitygroup.com

The manufacturer presents Fjord Flying Dragon as an out-and-back design with a graceful supporting structure, while park descriptions draw attention to its repeated moments of weightlessness. It has remained in operation as one of Happy Valley Tianjin’s principal coasters. mvrides.com· travelchinaguide.com· coasterpedia.net

Fjord Flying Dragon