Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Oriental Pearl TV Tower stands in Pudong Park in the new and developing Lujiazui district on the banks of the Huangpu River. The tower, surrounded by the Yangpu Bridge in the northeast and the Nanpu Bridge in the southwest, creates a picture of "twin dragons playing with pearls". Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with a giddy height of 468 meters, is the world's third tallest TV tower after the 553-meter CN Tower in Toronto and the 535-meter Moscow TV Tower.With a unique design composed of balls and columns, the tower become Shanghai's new landmark and a big magnet for tourists.It is a multi-functional establishment satisfying various needs in tourism, dining, shopping, entertainment, boarding and Audio & Video Broadcasting.

The design for the Tower incorporates eleven spheresand three gigantic columns linking the green grass below to the blue sky above.The whole design is rich in poetic and pictorial splendor, which gives the tourists the impression that pearls of various sizes are dropping onto the emerald plate. The Oriental Pearl Tower consists of three big columns, which are 9 meters in diameter, the space module, the upper sphere, the lower sphere, five small spheres, tower base and the square. There are six high speed passenger elevators inside the column taking visitors up to the viewing platform which affords great views over the city. The elevator attendants recite an introduction to the TV Tower in English and Chinese.

The inner tower is a recreational palace, while the Shanghai Municipal History Museum is located in the tower's pedestal. The base of the tower consists of a lobby, a shopping mall and science "fantasy city." Tourists can go to several observatory decks and in clear weather can get a superb view of The Bund and Shanghai, as well as Sheshan, Chongming Island and the Yangzi River in the distance. In the five spheres is the space hotel with twenty comfortable suites, 140 to 230 meters above the ground.
In the upper sphere, there are also the Revolving Restaurant, the Disco Hall, the Piano Bar and twenty KTV rooms. Every Saturday evening, an open-air performance is held on the terrace under the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.