5 Days in Shanghai – Oriental Pearl Tower

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The Oriental Pearl Tower — longer name is Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower — was, at 468m, the one-time tallest structure in China until 2007, when it was surpassed by new skyscrapers just beside it. Unlike many of the sky-reaching towers which can house business offices and/or hotels, the Pearl Tower seems to primarily function as a sightseeing spot and also a broadcast tower, with a small hotel sandwiched between the spheres. The tower has a very distinctive appearance — there are eleven spheres, with the sightseeing floor at a height of 263m — and the tower sits on three huge column legs. The tower was completed more than two decades ago in 1994, and is also starting to show its age: with its relative lack of modern styling in the external facade, and also that the interiors look very 1990-ish too.

The main sightseeing floor actually comprises two sections: a typical observation deck that permits 360-degree views of the city, and also a lower floor which has a floor ring with transparent glass. Those who suffer from acrophobia, e.g. me, will probably not want to go near it!

The exterior is in a sort of dirty brown-grey shade. Very 1990ish styling.
View of The Bund from the observation deck. Pretty cloudy mid-morning. A lot of clean-up work in Lightroom was necessary to restore detail.
At the longest end of the 12-40mm lens. Waibaidu Bridge is in the foreground, and the Shanghai People’s Heroes Memorial Tower monument is on the left.
Huangpu River stretching as far as the eye can see.
The Pudong area. I read that there are 16 skyscrapers that are taller than 250m in Shanghai. The only city with more is Dubai.
It was tough trying to fit the Shanghai Tower in its entirety in this shot, as the Pearl Tower (632m) is dwarfed by it. The two towers beside it are the Shanghai World Financial Center (492m) and Jin Mao Tower (420.5m). The two skyscrapers in the foreground are the twin towers (250m) of Shanghai International Finance Center.
A closer view of Shanghai Tower. It looks like a cigar LOL.
The Dongfangmingzhu Pleasure Cruise Boat Wharf — I think.
Still trying to figure out what tower this is!

Next post on the Shanghai Municipal History Museum!