Oriental Pearl Tower

Oriental Pearl Tower: Old Skyline King in a Changed City

When the Oriental Pearl Tower opened in 1994, its two spheres at 259m and 350m made it the tallest structure in China and a symbol of Shanghai’s ambitions. Those ambitions have since been exceeded several times over. The Shanghai Tower beside it is now 632 metres. The Pearl is no longer the dominant presence in Pudong’s skyline, but that’s not necessarily a problem for the visitor: it’s cheaper, less crowded than its taller neighbours, and contains a genuinely interesting history museum that the other towers don’t bother with.

The Observation Decks

The tower has five observation points. The lower sphere at 90 metres has the transparent-floor section that generates the obligatory photographs. The upper sphere at 259 metres gives a panoramic view that includes the full sweep of the Bund across the river and the jungle of towers in both directions. The top sphere at 350 metres is included in the premium ticket (¥200) and on clear days extends the view to distant suburbs and the mouth of the Yangtze.

Standard entry is ¥160 for two spheres. Buy tickets online at the official website to avoid the queue at the ground-floor counter, which during peak season (July-August and national holidays) can run 45 minutes. The worst time to visit is 11am-3pm on weekends. Late afternoon on a weekday is the practical answer.

Shanghai History Museum

The basement houses the Shanghai History Museum, included in the tower entry fee. This is actually one of the better museums in Shanghai, covering the city’s development from the 1840s treaty port era through to 1949. The reconstructed street scenes with wax figures and period shop fronts are done well rather than gimmicky. Budget an hour.

The Bund and Surrounding Area

The tower sits in Lujiazui, the financial district on the Pudong side of the Huangpu. Walk north along the river for 15 minutes to reach the Binjiang Avenue promenade, which faces the Bund across the water and is less photographed than the Bund itself. At 9pm, the neon light show across the river from here is excessive and spectacular in roughly equal measure.

The Bund is a 10-minute taxi ride (¥20) or a short metro ride on Line 2 (East Nanjing Road station). The 1920s-era colonial bank buildings on the Bund look best from the Pudong side anyway.

Where to Eat Near the Tower

The revolving restaurant inside the tower is overpriced and the food is not the draw; views are better from the observation deck. For proper eating in Lujiazui, the area around Lujiazui Ring Road has several Shanghainese restaurants serving xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) for ¥28-45 per steamer and hong shao rou (red-braised pork) for around ¥50. The mall beneath the tower has a food court on the lower ground floor that’s cheap and busy with office workers at lunch.

Where to Stay

The Grand Hyatt Shanghai on the 53rd-87th floors of Jin Mao Tower is genuinely dramatic. The Ritz-Carlton Pudong is more conventional luxury. For budget travellers, Jing’an and the former French Concession on the Puxi side offer far better value and neighbourhood character; a short metro ride puts you back at the tower in 15 minutes.

The tower is open daily 8am-9:30pm. Last entry is 9pm.