The Oriental Pearl TV & Radio Tower　东方明珠广播电视塔

The Oriental Pearl TV & Radio Tower, shortened into Oriental Pearl, towers at the tip of Lujiazui of New Pudong Area beside the Huangpu River. Located at No.1, Century Avenue, it faces the World Architectural Exposition at the Bund on the opposite bank of the Huangpu River and is adjacent to Shanghai International Convention Center. Its foundation stone was laid on July 30, 1991 and it was completed on November 18, 1995. It covers an area of about 65,000 m² and has a floor space of around 73000 m². Its total investment reached RMB 830 million yuan.

With an elegant name rich in implications, Oriental Pearl is unique and matchless for its grand and beautiful modeling. It is 468 m high, the third highest tower in the world and the highest in Asia. The tower features three major spheres: the upper sphere, and lower sphere and the Space Module. The three supporting columns hold up the tower into the skies. Bus stops, tourist sites, and docks nearby are all adopting the form of spheres. Looked at in the distance, they resemble pearls of all sizes falling into a jade plate.

Oriental Pearl Tower integrates sightseeing, food and beverage service, recreational activities, shopping, and TV and radio emission. As the highest of all architectures in Shanghai, it is a landmark and one of the favorite tourist spots in Shanghai; therefore, it has been graded as an AAAA scenic spot by the National Tourism Bureau.

Standing on the Oriental Pearl Square, you will see the four big Chinese characters Dong Fang Ming Zhu, meaning Oriental Pearl, which were the handwriting of Jiang Zemin's. Oriental Pearl Tower is a wonder in the history of Chinese architecture.

Oriental Pearl Tower is composed of three diametrically nine-m towering columns, upper sphere, lower sphere, Space Module, eight small spheres, and the base. The 11 spheres, large and small, high and low at different altitudes up in the air, are linked down to the green grassland on the ground. The two huge spheres, like two crystal rubies, look even more beautiful and dazzling in the sunshine. The three huge steel-structured spheres along the length of the tower from bottom to top are the lower, middle, and upper spheres. The lower sphere, located at the height of 68-118 m of the columns, is 50 m in diameter and about 624 tons in weight. The middle sphere, located at the height of 250-295 m of the columns, is 45 m in diameter and about 873 tons in weight. In this sphere there is a revolving restaurant, the highest in Asia, a disco-dancing hall, a piano bar, KTV rooms, etc. The upper sphere, located at the height of 335-349 m of the columns, is 14 m in diameter and about 50 tons in weight. In any one of the three spheres, you can enjoy a bird's eye view of whole Shanghai, a panoramic picture of the modern buildings in Pudong and the World Architectural Exposition in Puxi. Looking into the distance, you can also get a vague vision of the Chongming Island, the Sheshan Hill, and the Changjiang River.

Stepping into the ground floor of the tower, you will find yourself in a grand 10000-m² hall, in which there are various souvenir shops. On one side of the hall is Shanghai History Museum. There are 7 elevators. One of them is the world's No.1 360° observation elevator, and the rest can each accommodate 50 people, going upward at a speed of 7 m per second. In 10 seconds, the tourists can reach the first huge sphere, i.e. the lower sphere, which is composed of 8 floors with a floor space of about 7400 m².

After going around the lower sphere, the tourists can take an Ottis elevator and get to the middle sphere within 40 seconds. This sphere, 263 m above the ground, consists of 9 floors with a floor space of more than 10,000 m². Out of the 9 floors, 6 of them serve for the TV and radio emission, and the other 3 are the observation floors. Besides, there is the Revolving Restaurant, which can seat 500 people at the same time. Buffet is usually served here. It has been rated in Great World Guinness Records as the highest restaurant in Asia.

The upper sphere, i.e. the Space Module, is 350 m above the ground. It is both the part of TV emitting antenna and the place to entertain distinguished guests. Heads of state from more than 180 countries have been here, doing sightseeing, writing inscriptions and taking memento photos.

On the Space Module, a 118-meter TV and radio antenna is installed that can emit waves to hundreds of kilometers away, thus guaranteeing clear reception of TV programs in every corner of Shanghai.

During the daytime, Oriental Pearl Tower enjoys the liking and admiration by countless tourists for its tall and straight, grand and soaring posture. And in the nighttime, its colorful and bewitching lights overwhelm more people. The 3-dimensional lighting system, controlled by computers, can create more than 1000 variations. The tower is really a Luminous Pearl by the side of the Huangpu River.

There is even a post office set up at 295 m within the tower, where the tourists can post memento letters and postcards that have been stamped with a souvenir seal.

Address: No.1, Century Avenue, Lujiazui, Pudong

Tel.: 021-58791888

Open Hours: 8:30 - 21:30