Shanghai · Visitor Guide
Oriental Pearl TV Tower (东方明珠广播电视塔, Dōngfāng Míngzhū Guǎngbō Diànshì Tǎ)
The Oriental Pearl is the pink-and-purple concrete TV tower that put Pudong on the map when it opened in 1994, back when the marshland around it was still being filled in. At 468m it was the tallest structure in Shanghai for over a decade, and although the Shanghai Tower and SWFC now dwarf it, the Pearl still gives the Bund-facing skyline its most recognizable silhouette.
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Quick Answer
Is Oriental Pearl TV Tower worth visiting?
A 468-meter TV tower of stacked spheres with a glass-bottom corridor at 259m; budget 2-3 hours and arrive before sunset to catch both day and night views of the Pudong skyline.
Quick facts
| Ticket | Adult combo ~¥220 (263m deck + 259m glass floor + history museum); basic single-deck ~¥120 (as of 2026, verify) |
|---|---|
| Hours | 9:00-21:00 daily (last entry around 20:30) |
| Recommended duration | 2-3 hours (about 1 hour on the decks, 45 min in the history museum, plus queue time) |
| Best time to visit | Arrive about 1 hour before sunset (17:00 in winter, 19:00 in summer) on a weekday — you get the daytime skyline, the dusk light transition, and the night illuminations on one ticket, with smaller crowds than weekend afternoons. |
| How to get there | Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui Station, Exit 1, then a 5-minute walk south. |
| English signage | partial |
| Wheelchair accessible | partial |
| Opened | October 1, 1994 (construction 1991-1994) |
| Height | 468 m |
| Architect | Jiang Huancheng, Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Institute |
| Spheres | 11 spheres of varying sizes along the column |
| UNESCO | Not listed (too recent to qualify) |
| Former status | Tallest structure in Shanghai 1994-2007 |
What to expect
The tower's design is a stack of spheres of varying sizes along a single concrete column, supposedly inspired by a Tang poem about large and small pearls dropping on a jade plate. You buy your ticket at the base, ride a high-speed elevator to the 263m main observation deck, and from there most visitors continue down to the 259m transparent glass-floor corridor — a wraparound walkway with nothing between your shoes and the city below, which draws screams and long selfie lines. A revolving restaurant sits in the upper sphere at 267m, a quieter lower deck sits at 90m, and the Shanghai History Museum is tucked into the pedestal at ground level (included in most combo tickets).
Construction ran from 1991 to 1994 and opened on October 1, 1994, when the marshland of Lujiazui was still being filled in and the Bund directly across the river had already been standing for a century. At 468m it was the tallest structure in Shanghai from 1994 until the Shanghai World Financial Center topped out in 2007, and one of the tallest in Asia when built. Chief architect Jiang Huancheng reportedly pushed the sphere scheme after rejecting a string of more conventional proposals; the result was divisive at first but is now the silhouette most foreigners picture when they think of Shanghai. It is not — and never will be — a UNESCO site: too recent, too commercial.
Most guidebooks send you here for the view, but the honest take is that the SWFC observation deck (474m) and Shanghai Tower (561m) are both higher, less crowded, and give a cleaner glass-floor experience. The Pearl's real differentiator is the museum: the Shanghai History exhibition in the base is genuinely good and deserves more of your time than the decks above. Weekends are mobbed, elevator queues can hit 90 minutes, and the glass-floor corridor is a single-file shuffle — go on a weekday morning or skip the deck entirely. Tickets are cheaper if you book through the official WeChat mini-program than at the gate.
How to get there
Metro is the simplest option: Line 2 to Lujiazui Station (陆家嘴站), Exit 1, then walk about 5 minutes south — the tower is visible the whole way. By bus, routes 81, 82, 85, 795, 870, 971 and 992 all stop at the 东方明珠 (Oriental Pearl) bus stop by the base. For taxi or DiDi: from People's Square about 20 minutes and ¥30-45; from Hongqiao Airport about 45 minutes and ¥120-150; from Pudong Airport about 40 minutes and ¥120-160. DiDi is usually 10-15% cheaper than a metered taxi. The budget option is the public ferry: the ¥2 Dongchang Road ferry from the Bund-side Jinling East Road dock lands near Dongchang Road metro, then a 10-minute walk to the tower — cheap and gives you a river crossing photo for free.
Best photo spots
- The riverside promenade directly west of the tower — shoot straight up at the spheres for the classic single-tower frame, best at blue hour.
- The 259m transparent glass-floor corridor — lie down for the floating-above-Pudong shot, but expect a queue for the clear patch.
- The elevated Riverside Avenue (滨江大道) walkway facing the Bund — Bund skyline and the tower in one wide frame.
- The base of the tower looking straight up the column — the spheres collapse into a tunnel pattern against the sky.
Tips
- Book on the official WeChat mini-program (东方明珠) rather than at the gate — you skip the ticket queue and the combo is roughly 10% cheaper.
- Arrive about 1 hour before sunset: the daytime deck clears out and you get the skyline transition from day to night on one ticket.
- Skip the revolving restaurant unless you specifically want the novelty — the food is mid and you are paying for the altitude, not the meal.
- The Shanghai History Museum in the base is the underrated part of the visit; budget 45 minutes for it even if you came for the view.
- Avoid weekends after 2pm — domestic tour groups arrive in buses and the elevator queue alone can swallow an hour.
Scams to avoid
- 'Discount ticket' touts near Metro Exit 1 offering combo tickets at a cut rate — they usually bundle a compulsory shop stop or sell you the basic ¥120 ticket while claiming it is the full combo.
- Unlicensed 'taxis' in the Lujiazui parking area quoting flat fares to the airport or Bund at 2-3x the meter — insist on the meter or open DiDi.
- English-speaking 'students' who strike up a friendly conversation and steer you to an overpriced tea house or art gallery — the classic Shanghai tea-leaf scam, which recycles around Lujiazui.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Oriental Pearl Tower ticket?
The adult combo is around ¥220 (263m deck + 259m glass floor + history museum); a basic single-deck ticket is around ¥120 (as of 2026, verify).
What time does the Oriental Pearl Tower open and close?
9:00-21:00 daily, with last entry around 20:30. The history museum in the base keeps the same hours.
How do I get to the Oriental Pearl Tower by metro?
Take Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui Station, Exit 1, then walk about 5 minutes south — the tower is visible the whole way.
How tall is the Oriental Pearl Tower?
468 meters. It was the tallest structure in Shanghai from 1994 until the Shanghai World Financial Center opened in 2008.
Is there a glass-floor observation deck?
Yes, at 259m — a transparent walkway that wraps around the tower just below the 263m main deck, with a clear view straight down.
Is the Oriental Pearl Tower a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
No. It opened in 1994 and is far too recent to qualify, and no nomination is in process.
How long should I spend at the Oriental Pearl Tower?
About 2-3 hours: roughly 1 hour for the decks and glass floor, 45 minutes for the history museum, plus queue time that can balloon on weekends.
Is it better than the Shanghai Tower or SWFC observation decks?
Lower and more crowded, but the bundled Shanghai History Museum is the differentiator. If you only want the height view, Shanghai Tower's 561m deck is the better pick.
Can I eat at the rotating restaurant?
Yes, at 267m. Lunch buffet is around ¥300+ per person, dinner ¥400+, reservation recommended — food quality is average and you are paying for the altitude.
When is the best time to visit the Oriental Pearl Tower?
About one hour before sunset on a weekday — daylight, the dusk transition, and the night lights on a single ticket, with smaller crowds than weekend afternoons.
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