Oriental TV Pearl Tower

Located in Pudong Park next to Shanghai's Huangpu River and across from The Bund, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is one of the symbols of Shanghai. The tower's unique design and observation areas make it a favorite site with visitors to Shanghai.

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower was designed by the Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd. Construction began in 1990 and was completed in 1994. The tower was the tallest man-made structure in China until 2007, when the Shanghai World Financial Center was completed. With a height of 468 meters, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the third tallest radio and TV tower in the world.

The tower is supported by three large legs which go deep underground. There are a total of 11 steel spheres on the tower. The three largest spheres are home to observation areas. The views of Shanghai and the Huangpu River from the tower are spectacular. The lowest sphere, which is 90 meters above the ground, has a diameter of 50 meters. The middle is located 263 meters above the ground and is 45 meters in diameter with a rotating restaurant inside. The highest sphere is located 350 meters above the ground and is 14 meters in diameter. The spheres are accessed by elevators that can hold a maximum of 50 people and travel at a speed of seven meters per second. The 5 small spheres located between the two large ones contain a 20 room hotel, named the Space Hotel. The antenna located on top of the tower is 118 meters tall.

The tower is a beautiful structure, but it is at night, when the tower is truly spectacular. It is beautifully lit and can be seen from many points in Shanghai. Visiting the tower at night gives visitors a totally different experience when Shanghai is lit up.