JINAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The world's biggest shaftless Ferris wheel was put into operation in east China's Shandong Province on Wednesday, according to the project's investors and local authorities.

The wheel, 125 meters in diameter and 145 meters tall, is located in the city of Weifang. It has 36 compartments, each able to hold a maximum of 10 people. It takes about 30 minutes for the wheel to turn a complete circle.

Construction of the wheel took three years, and more than 5,000 tonnes of steel was used for the main structure.

"In contrast to typical Ferris wheels, this one has no shaft," said Sun Xuping, head of the construction team.

"We make scores of Ferris wheels each year, but it is rare to have a shaftless wheel like this," said Ma Dingyuan, general manager of the management company. "We plan to apply for the Guinness World Record."

The project was completed at the end of 2017 and underwent testing to confirm its safety.