A ferris wheel is planned for Guangzhou to give the southern city's tourism business a lift, China Daily reports.

The gigantic project, expected to cost more than US$100 million, has been listed as a key project to boost tourism in the city.

According to the newspaper, relevant city departments signed agreements with their foreign counterparts at the Guangdong International Tourism and Culture Festival on Monday to jointly build and operate the project.

An official from the Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Development and Reform yesterday declined to give details of the project, saying that it is still in its preliminary stages.

At more than 145 metres, the sky wheel in Changsha is the tallest wheel in Asia, while the Shanghai project reaches 108 metres.