Oriental Pearl Tower
The pink spheres that announced a new Shanghai

In 1993, Pudong was flat. The west bank of the Huangpu River — the Bund — was Shanghai's face to the world, all colonial-era facades and century-old banks. Across the water, there was not much. Then a tower went up: two large pink-red spheres stacked on a mast, unlike anything else in the Chinese skyline. That was the Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠), and it was a declaration of intent.

Completed in 1994 at 468 metres, it was the tallest structure in Asia at the time. It no longer holds that record — Shanghai Tower at 632 metres and the SWFC at 492 metres now flank it on both sides — but the Oriental Pearl remains the tower people picture when they think of Shanghai. Its observation sphere at 263 metres looks directly across at the Bund's colonial facade, making it one of the few places in the city where both sides of Shanghai's split personality are visible at once. The glass-floor skywalk and the underrated history museum at the base add substance beyond the view.

Tickets: The standard package — 263m sphere, 259m glass skywalk and the history museum at the base — costs around ¥199 (~฿1,000). Upgrading to include the Space Module at 350m brings the total to roughly ¥250–280 (~฿1,250–1,400). Booking online ahead of time (Klook or the official site) typically saves 10–20% and means you skip the ticket counter entirely.

Best time to visit: Go in the mid-to-late afternoon, roughly 3 to 5 pm. Arrive in daylight, take your time on the observation deck, and stay until the Bund's buildings and the Pudong towers all light up together. You get two completely different views — the sharp, detailed daytime panorama and the warmer, more atmospheric night version — without having to come back twice.

Haze and fog: Shanghai has hazy days, particularly in winter and during humid summer months. Check a local weather forecast before going; days with visibility under 5 km will limit the view significantly. The tower is air-conditioned throughout, but the glass panels near the observation levels can be cold in winter — bring a layer if you are visiting December through February.

Crowds and queues: Chinese public holidays — especially Golden Week (1–7 October) and Chinese New Year — bring very long queues. Weekday mornings after 9 am have the shortest waits overall. Booking online resolves most of the queue problem regardless of the season.

Getting there

By metro (recommended): Take MRT Line 2 to Lujiazui station (陆家嘴), use Exit 1, and walk straight ahead for about 5 minutes. The tower is visible from the station exit. From People's Square the journey takes roughly 10–12 minutes and costs ¥4–5. The metro eliminates traffic entirely and is by far the most reliable option.

By ferry: If you are starting from the Bund, the Jinling Road Ferry Terminal runs crossings for ¥2. The crossing takes 8–10 minutes; from the Pudong landing, walk about 10 minutes to the tower. A proper river experience, slower than the metro but more memorable.

By taxi or DiDi: From the Bund, expect ¥25–35 and 10–25 minutes depending on traffic. In the evenings and on weekends, traffic in Lujiazui can be very slow. The metro is faster and more predictable for this particular destination.