TV Tower "Oriental Pearl" Oriental Pearl of Shanghai Shanghai TV Tower
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is one of the first high-rise buildings in the Pudong New Area. Construction was completed in 1994. Height with spire - 468 meters.
Today it is one of the hallmarks of Shanghai, and the observation decks in the spheres are the most impressive in the city. From here you can see everything that I talked about in previous posts and even more.
Construction of the project Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. was the tallest building in China until 2007, when SWFC was built nearby.
Now the tower is the 5th tallest of all television towers in the world. It is inferior to the towers in Tokyo, Guangzhou, Toronto and, of course, our Ostankino Tower in Moscow.
However, of all the existing television towers, this is the most unusual. The largest sphere (50 meters in diameter) is supported by three vertical columns and three massive “support” columns.
The second large sphere (45 meters in diameter) is the main observation deck.
The topmost sphere, at an altitude of 350 meters, is also an observation sphere, it is called “Space Module”.
Let's go inside. On the lower levels of the tower is the Shanghai History Museum. It consists of old and modern photographs of the city.
In front of the elevator shafts there is such a leva.
The central elevator, as far as I understand, leads to a large, lower sphere. I didn't go up there.
The elevators to the second and third spheres are located inside one of the three main columns. Let's finally look at the views from above. The main one is, of course, on .
On the contrary, there is an equally spectacular view of the main part of Shanghai and in the foreground.
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Photos like these make it clear that Shanghai is a big city;))
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But first things first. On the left, looking towards Pudong, we see China Safe Finance Building, Bank of China Tower, Bank of Shanghai Headquarters, etc.
On the right are the towers of the International Financial Center, Super Brand Mall, Customs Center, etc.
And in the center - the World Financial Center - the "opener" and the Jin Mao Tower - the tallest skyscrapers in Shanghai.
Right at the foot of the TV tower is a spectacular roundabout and pedestrian overpass.
In the same direction are the incredible Shanghai road junctions.
If we take a broader look, we will see that the traffic along the Huangpu River is very busy. These are mostly barges.
We look to the right - we see one of the two twin bridges in Shanghai. This one, with the red supports, is called Yangpu. This is one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world (almost 8.5 kilometers, including overpasses stretching from it).
On the left is the twin, Nanpu Bridge, with white supports.
Far to the south you can see the territory of the world exhibition Expo 2010. The huge trapezoidal red pavilion of the People's Republic of China, the UFO cake of the Exhibition Center and the world's largest membrane roof Expo Axis stand out. It’s a shame, but I didn’t have time to go there closer.
Looking at the Bund from above is a special pleasure. Before us are the pearls of the embankment - the former headquarters of HSBC and Customs House.
Garden Bridge and Broadway Mansions Hotel.
Monument to People's Heroes.
The spire of the ICBC Building.
Crown Bund Center.
Somewhere in this area, along the Suzhou River, my hotel was located))
A little to the right, along the Huangpu embankment, is the futuristic passenger terminal of the Shanghai port of 2008.
For the EXPO exhibition, this terminal turned out to be not enough and by 2010, an equally extravagant second terminal was built, stuffed with the most modern environmental bells and whistles.
Let's return to Pudong and take a closer look. Here are the WFC viewing points - the top of the "opener".
And this is the central entrance and the area in front of the WFC. A giant fake magnet is visible.
Columns of China Safe Finance Building.
Rooftops of the Mirae Asset, Aurora and Citibank buildings.
Once again you can look at the multi-colored roofs of five-story buildings and be stunned by the fact that everything we see in the next frame was built in less than 15 years.
Behind the helipad of the Aurora Building, you can see the piers of tourist trams and a modern embankment with a winding membrane roof.
In previous posts I didn’t have time to show this embankment closer, so here it is (click on the thumbnails, they will open in a new window/tab).
And in the distance you can see towers - mirror twins. One of them will be occupied by CITIC Pacific, and the other by the local Mandarin Oriental Hotel. These buildings were completed in 2012. The interiors are being finished.
In previous posts, I also did not have time to show them (click on the thumbnails, they will open in a new window/tab).
Finally, a couple more shots in which the sky is not visible behind the buildings :)
And the interior of the Space Module - the highest sphere of the TV tower (due to the magenta-colored glass, taking pictures down is problematic; it’s better to go down to the sphere below - there are panoramic, almost glare-free glass and even an encircling corridor with a glass floor).
Well, that's all about Shanghai;)
Built in 1995, it is one of the tallest towers in China. The “Oriental Pearl”, as it is often called in Russia, is located in the area and plays the role of a modern business center. Its height is 468 meters. Weight - more than 120,000 tons. The base consists of three vertical reinforced concrete cylinders with a diameter of 9 meters.
The building is remarkable for its architecture. It stands out noticeably among the same giants standing nearby - skyscrapers. Silvery spheres of different diameters are “strung” on a thinner base, like pearls on a vertical axis. There are 11 of them in total, each of the balls ranges from 9 to 50 meters in diameter. Some of the “pearls” have observation decks; the top one, at an altitude of 360 meters, is equipped with a glass floor. In the next one, there is a restaurant under it, where you can either simply have lunch or dinner, or pre-order a banquet for several people. This is the only restaurant in Asia that is at such a height and rotates at the same time. The assortment includes dishes of Eastern and Western cuisines. Although the building serves as a meeting and work place for high-class people, the prices are designed for guests with an average salary, since the TV tower is, first of all, a tourist attraction, and then everything else. The building has 14 floors in total.
The building houses a small hotel with 250 rooms, shops, grocery and clothing stores, many souvenir shops, a tea room, a karaoke bar, and a 4-D cinema. Extreme lovers will enjoy the real “roller coaster”, which starts not at the foot, but from the height. The tower is equipped with six high-speed elevators, one double-deck (the only one of its kind in China) with a capacity of up to 50 people, and two medium-sized elevators, each of which can be used by up to 30 people at a time. It takes about 40 seconds to cover the distance from the foot of the “Pearl” to the upper floors.
The Shanghai History Museum is located on the ground floor of the Oriental Pearl Tower. This is a most interesting place for historians, sinologists and ordinary tourists. The life of the people of ancient times is recreated surprisingly vividly and attractively. Wax figures, interior, photographs, general mood - the developers spared no effort, bringing to light individual scenes of past eras: a caravan halt during the Silk Road, unloading and loading of goods... More than 100 artists took part in the creation of 663 completed compositions over five years. Elements of stone sculptures are made of emerald, agate, jade, jasper, pearls and even diamonds. The museum contains authentic bronze lions designed to guard the Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank. Those that stand on the embankment are just a copy. During the excursions, beautiful oriental music is played.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is especially beautiful at night. The entire TV tower shimmers with multi-colored lights; at its base, long rows of bright lanterns are lit and dozens of fountains with neon lighting are flowing. Observation platforms fascinate with gorgeous views of city panoramas.
The “Oriental Pearl” of Shanghai, which has become a symbol of the city, has appeared in films more than once. For example, in the recent blockbuster “Transformers. Revenge of the Fallen." At the very beginning of the film, you can see how Optimus Prime, one of the Autobots, lands on a plane against the backdrop of a Chinese television tower. The building previously appeared in the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He is seen in the final battle between the human torch and Doctor Doom.
About 3 million Chinese and foreign tourists visit Shanghai TV Tower every year.
Opening hours: 8.00 - 22.00
How to get there: take the second line
Shanghai is the third largest city in China and the most populous city in the world. It is home to 25 million inhabitants. Shanghai is located in the eastern part of the country, at the mouth of the Yangtze River. A significant part of the city lies on the banks of the Huangpu River. As a port city on the East China Sea, Shanghai has been a leader in cargo turnover in the world for more than 6 years.
The city is a harmonious combination of everything modern, from the latest technological processes in production to fashion trends, and imperial buildings of the 15th century.
The business district of the city, Pudong, has representative offices and offices of the most famous corporations in the world. This is where the main office of the People's Bank of China, which controls the free market, is located. Shanghai is very attractive for investors, as enterprises established with foreign capital in Shanghai are exempt from paying taxes for three years.
One of the most popular attractions, the symbol and business card of Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, is located in the Pudong area.
Features of the Pearl of the East TV Tower
The Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the tallest building in Asia and is one of the top three tallest buildings in the world (in first place is the CN Tower in Toronto with 553 m, in second place is the Moscow Ostankino TV Tower with 540 m). The height of the Pearl of the East is 468 meters, and its weight is about 120 thousand tons. The tower is built in the center of the business district on the banks of the Huangpu River, dividing this dynamic city into the old (with all its narrow streets and ancient buildings) and the new (with modern skyscrapers, squares and trendy shops and quarters). The TV tower rises between two bridges, Yangpu and Nanpu, which are designed to personify the dragons playing with the pearls of the tower.
Opened in 1994, the tower took four years to build. The basis of the construction technology of this tallest structure is nine-meter cylindrical reinforced concrete structures. Fifteen steel balls at different heights symbolize pearls. The maximum height at which the last “pearl” is located is 360 meters. Its diameter is 45 meters. In order to rise to such a height, several high-speed elevators operate. One of them can accommodate fifty guests (the double-deck elevator is the only one in China) and lifts them to the observation deck in 40 seconds. Two more elevators can accommodate up to three dozen guests. The observation deck offers an amazing panorama of Shanghai and its surroundings.
The view from this height of the city at night is especially impressive.
On the ground floor of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower there is the Shanghai City Museum, which tells in detail about the history and cultural values of this city. Oriental music plays in the museum, and very “natural” wax figures create a very authentic atmosphere of ancient China.
Restaurant in the Pearl of the East TV tower. Shanghai
In one of the “pearls” at an altitude of 267 meters there is a restaurant that rotates around the axis of the TV tower. The restaurant makes a complete revolution in one hour. Here you can order a wide variety of Chinese cuisine. The revolving restaurant at this height is the only one in China.
Near the observation decks there are galleries of souvenir shops. If you want to be transported to the world of science fiction, then you should stop at the first “pearl”, where “Space City” is located. In the central area there is a hotel, as well as a conference room and meeting rooms.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is one of the many attractions in Shanghai. Her original appearance always attracts the eye. And several observation platforms of the tower will not leave you indifferent.
Where is
The Oriental Pearl Tower is located on the small Lujiazui river peninsula in the Pudong business district on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai.
Geographic coordinates 31.239605, 121.499854
General information
The main purpose of the Eastern Pearl Tower is a television and radio transmission tower. But besides this, it has restaurants, shops, excellent observation decks and a small hotel.
Inside the Oriental Pearl Construction began in 1991. Already on November 18, 1994, its grand opening took place. The total cost of the project is estimated at 830 million yuan.
Jiang Huang Chen, Lin Benling and Zhang Xiulin worked on the design.
The Eastern Pearl is comparable in height to a 153-story building. Its height including the spire is 468 meters (to be absolutely precise, 467.9 meters). The height of the spire alone is 118 meters.
Sad fact - Despite all the security systems, on April 13, 2010, a fire was recorded in the tower. At 2 a.m. the top of the spire caught fire. Perhaps this happened due to a lightning strike.
Until 2007, the Oriental Pearl was the tallest building in all of China. Then it lost first place to the Shanghai World Financial Center. It must be said that it is only 24 meters higher (its height is 492 meters).
Design Features
The tower contains 11 spheres of different sizes. Two of them are mainly noticeable: the lower one, with a diameter of 50 meters, and the upper one, with a diameter of 45 meters. They are connected by three columns, each 9 meters in diameter.
There is another sphere on the spire - 14 meters in diameter.
The entire Eastern Pearl Tower is supported by three giant columns that go deep into the ground. Each column also has a decorative sphere.
Base of the Oriental Pearl Tower The remaining 5 balls are in the space between the three columns, connecting the two largest spheres. They house 20 hotel rooms at the Space Hotel.
spheres between the columns of the tower At night, the entire structure is illuminated with LEDs.
Evening illumination of the tower For quick travel, there are 6 elevators inside. They move at speeds of up to 7 meters per second.
It is noteworthy that these elevators are two-story and can accommodate up to 50 people at a time.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. It is the sixth tallest TV tower in the world and the second tallest in China.
Main tower levels
It is worth highlighting its most interesting levels separately.
Here you will see wax figures and scenes from the history of Shanghai.
This hall is located on the first level of the tower.
Height 78 meters
There is a cinema with a 240-degree ring screen. It shows Shanghai's development plans for the next 70 years.
The platform is located at the bottom of the lower large sphere.
Virtual roller coaster
At an altitude of 95 meters there is a hall with a virtual roller coaster. This is the first virtual roller coaster hall in China and the highest in Shanghai.
It is located at the top of the lower large sphere.
At an altitude of 259 meters, this unique floating gallery is the only 360-degree transparent viewing gallery in the world. Its circumference is 150 meters, width 2.15 meters and height 1.9 meters. Each square meter of floor can support a weight of more than 2 tons.
The floor (about 4 cm thick) here is also transparent, which gives the impression of walking on the clouds.
The platform is located at the bottom of the second large sphere.
Transparent floor of the observation deck It is located at an altitude of 263 meters. From here you have an excellent 360 degree view of Shanghai.
Revolving restaurant
The Sky Rotating restaurant is located 267 meters above the ground. This is the largest revolving restaurant in all of Asia. It is designed for 360 seats (perhaps this number corresponds to 360 degrees of full rotation of the restaurant). Spacious spherical glass windows offer stunning views of the river and city.
The restaurant makes a full turn in 2 hours, allowing you to fully explore the city.
Here you will be offered dishes from Southeast Asia, Japanese, Chinese, European and American cuisine.
You will find the restaurant at the top of the second large sphere.
Space module
This is the highest level of the Eastern Pearl. It is located 351 meters above the ground in the third and highest sphere. It is usually called the Space Module.
There are 2 levels: 339 meters and 351 meters, respectively.
Space module Eastern Pearl in tourism
The tower is available for visiting from 8-30 to 21-30
Paid entrance. Cost from 35 to 260 yuan depending on the levels visited. Children under 1 meter are admitted free of charge. Children from 1 to 1.4 meters with a 50% discount.
You can find out more detailed information about the time and cost of visiting at official website of the tower.
Of all Chinese cities, Shanghai is considered one of the most beautiful and interesting for tourists. This place is known to travelers as the “Paris of the East”. And, just like in real France, there is a landmark that attracts – the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
This building does not belong to the category of the largest. Despite the fact that its height is 468 meters, there are buildings even higher. Among the tallest towers in all of Asia, the TV Tower is only in third place.
The tower was built relatively recently, in the nineties of the last century. This is noticeable if you look at this modern building from all sides. The project was carried out by a famous Chinese engineer. The Jia Huangchen building was supposed to become one of the main attractions of the city. The engineer managed to turn his ambitious plans into reality. Construction of the tower began in 1991, and within three years this futuristic structure became functional. Radio and television broadcasting began from the TV Tower. Also, the first visitors began to be allowed in almost immediately. They also appreciated it in the first days, immediately making the establishment popular and interesting for tourists.
The building combines traditional oriental style details and modern technology. The place for the construction of the “Pearl” was also well chosen. The TV Tower is located on a spacious green area next to the Huangpu River (metro station 陆家嘴). On both sides there are Nanpu and Yangpu bridges. They symbolize the two dragons that guard the Oriental Pearl. The pearl theme continues in other ways. All levels of the high television tower are decorated with huge spheres. They just resemble luxurious pearls that slowly descend onto a large dish.
Anyone can visit this architectural miracle. To do this, just pay the entrance fee (about $30 per person) and take the high-speed elevator. You should definitely appreciate this innovation. It moves at a speed of seven meters per second, so despite the fact that the tower is high, you can reach the desired floor in a matter of minutes. Returning to the cost of the entrance ticket, it is worth saying that it depends on which parts of the tower you plan to visit.
There is a lot of interesting things in the TV Tower. There is a full-fledged restaurant there. The local chefs cook deliciously, but the highlight of the establishment is not the cuisine at all, but the fact that it is located at an altitude of 267 meters. It turns out that during dinner you can see Shanghai from a bird's eye view, enjoying the luxurious view. A little higher, at an altitude of 271 meters, there is a spacious dance floor, bar and karaoke. Just like in Japan, China is a fan of karaoke and builds single booths to perform songs. After singing, you can go to a transparent glass platform and be horrified at how high you are!)
Even higher is the workspace - a spacious penthouse, a conference room and a small coffee shop where you can recharge your batteries. In addition to a place to work and relax, you can also find a full-fledged hotel here. If you like to relax in exotic places, and you are willing to shell out a considerable amount of money for a night at an altitude of several hundred meters, then you will definitely like it here. Here you have the opportunity to choose one of 250 rooms. It’s worth booking everything in advance so as not to be left without a room.
Another interesting place is the museum, which is dedicated to the history of the city. It is located right at the foot of the “Pearl”. This corner will appeal to both those who are truly interested in the history of China and those who just want to see something interesting. There are memorials on display dedicated to the life of the peoples who lived here before, and various exhibitions with photographs. By looking at them, you can learn a lot about the country's past. Everything looks very impressive, because simple wax figures and stone statues here are decorated with jewelry: pearls, diamonds, jade and other bright details. The huge lions are also worth appreciating. These statues are an exact copy of those that guard the Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank.
It is worth mentioning separately that there are two “pearls”, which, unlike those reserved for a restaurant, hotel and other premises, are not open to the public, and none of the locals know why they are needed.
At night, the Oriental Pearl of Shanghai looks incredibly beautiful, because the entire huge building is illuminated. It turns out to be a truly mesmerizing spectacle. To many, this building resembles an attraction. This impression is complemented by the fact that the building has six high-speed elevators and even the only double-deck elevator in the entire country. The main elevators are capable of moving no more than thirty people at a time. But the double-decker can accommodate as many as 50 passengers. Over time, the number of elevators may well increase, because people are becoming more and more interested in this attraction. This applies to both residents of the Middle Kingdom and guests of the country.
The modern TV Tower is so noticeable and attractive that it is impossible to ignore it in world culture. This symbol of Shanghai often appears in various films, including Hollywood ones.
For example, in one of the films about Transformers, she flashed in the background when one of the Autobots jumped out of the plane. She also appeared in the background in the film Fantastic Four. The building was portrayed in a more interesting way in “Life After People.” The film showed one of the options for the development of the future, or more precisely, what will happen to this famous TV Tower in just 70 years. One of the tragic endings is shown, when the tower tilts, flooded by the waters of the river and falls. The plot is similar in mood in the film “Godzilla: Final Wars”. Then the tower is blown up, destroying the building completely.
But these are just films, the creators of which are inspired by how large-scale and big the Oriental Pearl turned out to be. In fact, it is also very durable. Despite the fact that the building looks exotic, and there is no certainty that if something happens it can withstand both an earthquake and an enemy attack, the TV Tower is in reality very durable. The supports are made wisely, so all the people who go up in the high-speed elevator do not risk their lives at all.
To summarize, we can say that the Oriental Pearl, or “Oriental Pearl Tower” is one of the main symbols of all of Shanghai. Like other similar attractions, it brings its owners quite a lot of money, because more than three million tourists visit it every year. By the way, it is worth mentioning separately that this tower, unlike many similar ones, was not built for television and radio broadcasting from there. They planned to turn the building into a grand attraction for visitors and locals. The result even exceeded all the creators' expectations.