Landmark · Pudong
Shanghai World Financial Center
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The Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) is the distinctive 'bottle opener' skyscraper in Pudong's Lujiazui district, 492 metres tall, with a trapezoidal aperture near its top that gives it its nickname. Its observation decks on the 94th, 97th, and 100th floors include a glass-floored sky walk at 474 metres, one of the highest observation points in the world when it opened, with vertiginous views straight down and across the Shanghai skyline, the Huangpu River, and the neighbouring towers.
It sits in a cluster with the taller Shanghai Tower and the Jin Mao Tower, so visitors often choose between them; SWFC's glass-floor walk through the 'aperture' is its signature thrill. Go on a clear day, ideally toward dusk for the city by day and night.
Don't miss
- The 100th-floor glass-floored sky walk at 474m
- Views down through and around the 'bottle opener' aperture
- Panoramas over the Huangpu River and the Bund
- Its cluster with the Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao Tower
- Dusk views of the skyline by day and night
Tickets & tours
Ways to visit Shanghai World Financial Center
You can visit on your own (paid, tiered by which observation floors you access; the 100th-floor walk is the top tier. book online to save). A tour adds transport and a guide, or combines nearby sights into one day.
Cheapest way inShanghai City Guided Walking Tour | China's 1st and Best Rated5★ · 356 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$5 per personSee dates →
Most bookedAuthentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai5★ · 1,567 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$79 per personSee dates →
Private & flexiblePrivate Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights5★ · 1,219 travelers7–8 hoursFree cancellationFrom$115 per personSee dates →Good for
How travelers rate it
Know before you go
- The 100th-floor glass-floor sky walk is the signature experience, the top ticket tier.
- It's one of three towers in the cluster (with Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao), pick based on height and price.
- Go on a clear day; haze ruins the view from any of the towers.
- Dusk gives daytime and night skyline in one visit.
A bit of history
Completed in 2008, the Shanghai World Financial Center was briefly China's tallest building. Its design, including the aperture originally planned as a circle, changed to a trapezoid, became an instant Pudong landmark, later joined by the even taller Shanghai Tower next door.
Common questions
Why is it called the 'bottle opener'?
Because of the large trapezoidal aperture near the top of the tower, which locals thought resembled a bottle opener.
What's the glass sky walk?
On the 100th floor at 474m, a glass-floored corridor lets you look straight down, one of the highest such walks in the world.
Should I go here or the Shanghai Tower?
The Shanghai Tower next door is taller with a higher deck; SWFC's draw is the glass-floor walk and the aperture. Choose by height, price, and which view you prefer, on a clear day either is superb.
When's best to visit?
A clear day toward dusk, for the skyline by daylight and then illuminated at night.
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