Oriental Pearl Tower

A TV tower strung with pink spheres, the signature of Shanghai's Pudong skyline.

The tower was built from 1991 to 1994 and was the tallest structure in China until 2007. Its site, Lujiazui, was chosen because the area was growing fast during China's reform and opening-up, and the tower soon became a symbol of the new Pudong. It still sends out signals for around 30 TV and radio stations, and about 2.8 million visitors a year ride up to its viewing decks, restaurant and other attractions.

Why the pearls?

The tower has eleven spheres of different sizes. The two biggest are held up by three thick columns, and smaller ones are threaded along the shaft above and below them. The spheres have steel frames covered with concrete tiles and red glass panels. The designers said the idea came from a famous poem by the Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, which describes music sounding like big and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate. The tower's design, named "Oriental Pearl", was chosen in 1988 from 12 entries by three design firms.

How it was built

The ground beside the Huangpu River is soft, so builders drove large concrete pillars deep into the earth and added steel pipes and plates for extra support. Work began on 30 July 1991. The concrete body was finished at the end of 1993, and in spring 1994 the antenna was lifted into place over 11 days. The tower was completed on 1 October 1994, China's National Day. Its top floor is at 351 metres, and the 137-metre antenna on top brings it to 468 metres. Early plans had called for a tower of only 400 metres.

Visiting today

The tower has fifteen observation levels. The highest, called the Space Module, sits at 351 metres, and several levels have glass floors so visitors can look straight down. Lower levels hold a revolving restaurant, an indoor roller coaster and museums, including part of the Shanghai History Museum's collection at the base. There is even a small hotel with about 20 rooms, the Space Hotel, tucked between the two large spheres. At night a light show makes the spheres glow over the river.

On the globe

The model shows the TV tower strung with pink spheres that marks Shanghai's Pudong skyline. Zoom in and count the spheres stacked along its legs and shaft.