Oriental Pearl Tower

The Oriental Pearl Tower is a 468-metre broadcast tower in Lujiazui, on the Pudong side of the Huangpu River opposite the Bund. Its large spheres hold observation levels, a revolving restaurant and other attractions, and it is one of the best-known shapes on the Pudong skyline.

Construction began on 30 July 1991 and the tower body was capped on 14 December 1993. It opened to the public on 1 May 1995. For years it was the tallest structure in China; the Shanghai World Financial Center took that position in 2007, according to Chinese Wikipedia.

The form is three large spheres joined by columns. The lower sphere is about 50 metres across and sits roughly 100 metres up. Chinese Wikipedia lists an observation level at 263 metres, a revolving restaurant at 267 metres, and a hanging gallery with a glass floor at 259 metres that opened on 1 May 2009.

Sources differ on the design credit. English Wikipedia says the East China Architectural Design Institute’s “Oriental Pearl” scheme was picked from 12 submissions, and that the designers cited the Tang poem “Pipa xing” by Bai Juyi as inspiration. The Chinese article’s infobox instead lists Shanghai Modern Architectural Design.

The tower is rated a national 5A tourist attraction. It is a ticketed attraction, and the tower’s own site is the place to check current hours and prices; those details could not be confirmed here.