Why go
The Oriental Pearl was China's tallest structure when it opened, and its design — eleven spheres threaded on concrete columns — was drawn from a Tang dynasty poem about pearls falling on a jade plate. While the Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao have since surpassed it in height, it remains the building most people picture when they think of Shanghai.
The view from the decks faces west across the Huangpu to the Bund's colonial skyline, which is the reason to come: one tower, two eras of Shanghai in a single frame. Come on a clear evening to catch daylight, sunset and the neon switch-on in one visit.
- The 259 m glass-floored Sightseeing Floor — walk on air over the city
- The 263 m main deck with the wraparound panorama of the Bund and Huangpu River
- The revolving restaurant at 267 m if you want lunch with the view
- Shanghai History Museum in the tower's basement, an underrated exhibit of old Shanghai
Practical tips
Security screening and elevators mean 20–40 minutes from door to deck on busy days. The glass floor deck is crowded at peak times — go right at opening or after 7 pm. Combo tickets with the Shanghai History Museum downstairs are worth the small markup.
Nearby
The tower anchors the Lujiazui cluster: the Shanghai Tower's higher observation deck, the Jin Mao Tower and the riverside promenade are all within a 15-minute walk. Take the ferry or the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel back across the river.
What to See — Aug 2026 Picks
Xiaohongshu travelers in August 2026 recommend entering the Oriental Pearl Tower around 3 to 4 PM to catch daylight, sunset, and night views in a single visit. New additions drawing attention include the POP MART City Park Carnival pop-up on the ground floor and the ATM Trendy Art Gallery on level B1, while the 259-meter glass skywalk remains the most-posted photo spot.
259m Glass-Floor Skywalk
The fully transparent observation corridor at 259 meters is the tower’s signature thrill — you stand on glass with nothing but 85 stories of empty air between your feet and the streets of Lujiazui below. Xiaohongshu users recommend wearing bright clothing and crouching low near the glass edge to minimize reflections for the “walking on air” shot. Visit at 9 AM opening or after 8 PM to avoid peak queues; flat shoes only, as heels are not allowed.
263m Main Observation Deck
The 360-degree glass-walled main deck offers the tower’s widest panorama, taking in the Bund’s historic buildings to the west, the Lujiazui trio of supertalls to the east, and the Huangpu River curving through the city. Arrive between 5 and 6 PM to watch the sky shift from blue to gold to a sparkling night skyline, and you will capture three different Shanghai skylines on one ticket. The deck also has a small cafe and the tower’s signature sphere-shaped ice cream.
351m Space Capsule
The highest publicly accessible point of the tower, the Space Capsule is a smaller, more intimate sphere at 351 meters that feels like the bridge of a starship. On the clearest days the horizon stretches toward the mouth of the Yangtze, and the quiet, uncrowded atmosphere makes it a favorite for contemplative photography. Access requires the three-sphere combo ticket (around 299 yuan) or an on-site upgrade from the 263-meter deck.
267m Revolving Restaurant
The revolving restaurant on the upper sphere completes a full 360-degree rotation roughly every 90 minutes, so every diner gets a shifting panorama of Pudong, the Bund, and the Huangpu River during a single meal. The buffet covers Chinese, Southeast Asian, Japanese, and Western dishes, and a window seat lets you dine as the skyline glides past. Book 24 to 48 hours ahead for a window seat, and consider the lunch package (368 yuan including sightseeing tickets) for the best value.
Shanghai History Museum at the Base
Located on the ground floor of the tower, this immersive museum recreates old Shanghai through walk-through street scenes — a traditional pharmacy, a 1930s cotton shop, a rickshaw puller, a silk merchant — with lifelike figures and ambient sound. Most visitors rush upstairs and skip it, which is a mistake: visiting here first, while the upstairs queues are longest, is the smartest crowd-dodging strategy. It gives the historical context that makes the views upstairs feel meaningful.
Tower Light Show and Bund Night View
After dark, the tower itself becomes the centerpiece of Shanghai’s nightly illumination, its spheres glowing in shifting color patterns that reflect off the Huangpu River. The best free view of this spectacle is from the Bund waterfront across the river, where the tower, the Nanpu and Yangpu bridges, and the Lujiazui supertalls form the iconic Shanghai postcard image. Time your riverside walk for after 7 PM when the full light show is running.
Enter around 3 to 4 PM to experience daylight, sunset, and night views on a single ticket. Buy the two-sphere combo (199 yuan) online ahead of time, skip the expensive in-tower dining unless you booked the revolving restaurant package, and bring a light jacket for the windy outdoor corridor at 90 meters.
Getting there
- Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui station, exit 1 — the tower is a 5-minute walk
- Ferry from the Bund to Dongchang Road wharf, then 10 minutes on foot
- Height
- 468 m
- Opened
- 1994
- Top deck
- 351 m (Space Module)
