"5 Minutes for 6,300 Won" Ride Booms in Popularity...Animal Cruelty Furor over "Live-Horse Carousel"

Six Horses Arranged in a Circle, 30 Yuan for 5 Minutes
"Animal Cruelty" Controversy...Operation Ultimately Suspended

A so-called "live-horse carousel" made using real, living horses at a tourist attraction in China has sparked controversy over animal cruelty.

A Chinese "carousel" amusement ride made using live horses has sparked controversy over animal cruelty. Douyin

According to Hong Kong Sing Tao Daily on the 12th (local time), a tourist site in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province in northwestern China began operating a carousel ride using live horses ahead of the Chinese Spring Festival.

The ride consists of six horses placed at roughly 1-meter intervals on a metal frame, arranged in a circle so they move around in rotation. When tourists climb onto the horses, staff members standing inside the ride keep the horses moving continuously.

Each ride lasts about 5 minutes and reportedly costs 30 yuan (about 6,300 won) per person. Since it began operating on the 6th, the ride has become so popular that visitors have had to line up on-site.

A Chinese carousel ride built using live horses has sparked controversy over animal abuse. Douyin

However, as related videos spread online through social media, controversy over animal cruelty flared up. Chinese internet users reacted by saying, "The horses must feel dizzy from going around in circles all the time," "I oppose using animals as amusement rides," and "In the Year of the Horse, horses are being abused."

On the other hand, some argued that the criticism was excessive, saying, "By that logic, we should also condemn making oxen pull plows or donkeys pull carts."

As the controversy continued, the tourist attraction announced that it had decided to suspend operation of the ride, which had been scheduled to run until March 8.