Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu)

The Oriental Pearl is Shanghai's retro-futuristic TV tower, a 468-metre structure of giant pink spheres strung along three columns, an instant icon of the Pudong skyline since the 1990s. Multiple observation levels rise up the tower, including a glass-floored skywalk where you can stand on transparent panels above the city. The views sweep across the Huangpu River to the historic Bund on one side and Shanghai's forest of supertall towers on the other.

At its base, the worthwhile Shanghai History Museum recreates old Shanghai street scenes. While newer, taller towers nearby (Shanghai Tower) now offer higher decks, the Oriental Pearl remains the most characterful and the one that defines the skyline, best photographed from the Bund across the river, especially when lit at night.

Don't miss

• The glass-floored skywalk observation deck
• Views over the Huangpu River to the Bund
• The distinctive pink-sphere design
• The Shanghai History Museum at the base
• The tower lit up at night, seen from the Bund

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu)

Cheapest way inShanghai: Private Transfers to/from Shanghai Pudong Airport(PVG)4.3★ · 30 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$16 per personSee dates →Most bookedPrivate Night Tour-VIP River Cruise and Shanghai Tower Option4.9★ · 118 travelers3-4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$144 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleShanghai Downtown Hotel to Pudong Airport One Way Private Transfer5★ · 24 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$35 per personSee dates →

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How travelers rate it

Getting there

Know before you go

• Tickets are tiered by how high you go, decide if you want the top sphere and skywalk.
• The Shanghai History Museum at the base is often included and genuinely good.
• For the classic photo of the tower itself, shoot from the Bund across the river at night.
• Go on a clear day; haze significantly cuts the view.

A bit of history

Completed in 1994, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower was the tallest structure in China at the time and became the symbol of Shanghai's rapid modernisation as Pudong transformed from farmland into a financial powerhouse.