Oriental Pearl TV Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu)
Adjacent to the Huangpu River and opposite the Bund, Oriental Pearl TV Tower is one of the most attractive landmarks and cultural symbols in Shanghai. It was first put into construction in 1991 and completed in 1993. In 1994, the tower's sightseeing facilities and main lighting system were put into operation; Oriental Pearl TV Tower officially opened on May 1st, 1995. Since then, this 468-meter-high tower has become the tallest radio and TV tower in Asia and the third tallest TV tower in the world, trailing 553.33-meter-high Toronto Tower Canada, and 533 meters high TV Tower in Moscow, Russia.
The tower has 11 spheres connected in series from top to bottom, the lowest of which is 118 meters high and the tallest being 295 meters, integrating urban sightseeing, fashion catering, shopping and entertainment, historical display, Huangpu River tour and exhibition performance, which makes it one of the first 5A tourist attractions in China.
Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower Facts
The History of Oriental Pearl TV Tower: Why and When Was It Built
On August 25, 1983, the Shanghai Broadcasting Bureau, in a report, sorted out the basic situation of Shanghai's radio and television and the details of the existing TV transmission towers being overburdened, and for the first time proposed the idea of building a new TV tower in Shanghai. On November 17 of the same year, it was clearly proposed to build a TV FM transmission tower of about 400 meters. In 1984, after repeated investigations and studies, the site for the construction of a new TV tower was chosen in the area along the river from Lujiazui in Pudong to Pudong Park.
The construction of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower began on July 30, 1991, and was officially completed on October 1, 1994. The tower's sightseeing facilities and main lighting system were put into operation. On May 1, 1995, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower was launched and officially opened to the public.
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Construction & Facilities
With eleven steel spheres in various sizes inscribed, the body of the Tower creates an admirable image, which is described in an ancient Chinese verse as: Large and small pearls dropping on a plate of jade. Three nine-meter-in-diameter cylinders, which are supported by three tilted standings seven-meter-in-diameter with an oblique angle of 60, tower to the sky. There are three main activity spaces or spheres inside Oriental Pearl TV Tower; they are space capsule hall on the top, upper sphere and lower sphere. Scenery-viewing platform lies in the space capsule hall; here visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Bund and the Pudong New Area. There is a revolving restaurant and an observatory, which can accommodate 1,600 people. And the lower sphere is an indoor amusement park.
There are 6 elevators in the tower - five installed in the three columns, one between the height of 250 meters and 341 meters. One of the five elevators is double-decked. With a capacity of accommodating 50 persons at a speed of 4 meters per second, it is the only one of its kind in China. Two medium-sized elevators, accommodating 30 persons each and running at a speed of 7 meters per second, cover the distance from the bottom of the Tower to the higher sphere within 40 seconds. It was not surpassed by Shanghai Tower until 2016 whose elevators run at a speed of 18 meters per second.
The antenna at the top of the tower can be used for multiple purposes of data transfer and telecommunications. It accommodates the transmission of 10 radio frequencies and 9 TV channels. The power covering the whole area of Shanghai, the operation of the Tower largely improves the receiving of radio and TV programs for Shanghai residents.
The color-changeable luminary system of the Tower consists of 438 emitting lamps, 2 revolving lamps, 2 light belts, 2 projectors, 576 lighting points and other accessory equipment. Automatically controlled by computers, the lamps give the Tower body thousands of changeable colors.
The Tower is 120,000 tons in weight, compared with the 7,000 tons of the Eiffel Tower in Paris of France. The steel structure of the lower sphere weights 624 tons, the higher sphere being 873 tons, the space cabin 50 tons and the antenna 450 tons.
What to Do on Oriental Pearl Tower?
1. Overlook Shanghai skyline from high
And experience the breathtaking hanging sightseeing walking path. All of the three activity spheres possess sightseeing platform. The 263-meter upper sphere sightseeing floor, with a diameter of 45 meters, is the subjective light layer of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. A 150-meter-long hanging sightseeing walking path sites outside the building at the height of 259 meters, which is one of the most attractive activities of the tower. The space capsule hall at the height of 350 meters is the highest sightseeing floor of the TV tower.
2. Enjoy a wonderful dinner in revolving restaurant.
Sited in the upper sphere of 267 meters, the revolving restaurant covers an area of 1500 square meters and can accommodate 350 guests at the same time. There are excellent dining conditions and service, and a clear view through the huge floor-to-ceiling glass across the Huangpu River to the Bund and the surrounding splendid buildings of Pudong District. Many engagement or proposal dinners take place here.
3. Have fun in entertainment zone to try 5D video, VR games, Landmark Park, etc.
To explore a fantasy trip in the Oriental TV Tower, you have to visit the Landmark Park here. It's a high-tech collection of famous landmarks from around the world, and you can experience them in VR or 5D movies. It's not only a paradise for children, but also for many adults.
4. Learn something about Shanghai development at the History Display Hall
Witness new culture by visiting cultural corridor. The display and exhibition hall has more than 80 scenic spots in 6 exhibition halls including the old city style, the ten-mile foreign concessions and the architecture expo, etc. show visitors the development of Shanghai through precious historical relics, mini architectures and wax statue. You can also find art exhibitions and painting and calligraphy activities at the cultural corridor.
5. Take a Huangpu River Cruise from here.
Huangpu River cruise is one of the top cruise trails in China. The night view along Huangpu River is stunning with pretty light show and exquisite buildings. Steeping yourself on the cruise will be a nice relaxing time. You can start you cruise from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
6. View Oriental Pearl Tower Night Show - Lighting System
The artistic lighting system of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower was designed by a French lighting designer and consists of two parts: floodlighting and artistic lighting. There are seven basic performance methods for the artistic lighting section. The lighting can be personalized, presenting three-color and multi-color effects. Under computer control, there can be over 1,000 variations.
There are several fantastic night shows to watch on Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV tower such as “Fancy Shanghai” Circular Dome Show, “Updating City” Dynamic Ring Multimedia Show, “Hi Shanghai” and “ Bar Talent Show”, and “Shanghai Classic” Circamara Show.
7. Experience interstellar exploration in a 351-meter space capsule
The 51-meter space capsule is the sci-fi-themed observation deck at the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai. This facility consists of two levels of viewing platforms and is constructed with high-strength transparent tempered glass. The upper floor is equipped with circular viewing Windows, offering a 360-degree view of the scenery along both banks of the Huangpu River. The lower layer is equipped with holographic projection devices, allowing you to explore the mysteries of the planet through the blade screen technology. An interactive device called "Space Slide" was set up to simulate the movement experience in a low-gravity environment. The ticket price is RMB100.
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8. Experience the high-altitude wonderland VR roller coaster
In July 2023, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower made every effort to upgrade China's first indoor high-altitude VR roller coaster. The brand-new VR roller coaster enhances future cities and ideal cities with digital technology, and combines the concept of "metaverse" to create a future sci-fi scene.
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How to Get to Oriental Pearl Tower?
Get on Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui Station, you can easily find the entrance of Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
Public transport like Bus 81, 82, 85, 774, 789, 795, 870, 939, 971, 983, 985, 993 can take you to the around, then you need to walk a few minutes to reach your destination.
If you want to experience something special, you can try the sightseeing tunnel at The Bund, which is a kind of amazing trip and transportation under the water across Huangpu River; you can also take a water bus at Huangpu River and get off at Oriental Pearl TV Tower Station.
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