# Lujiazui, Shanghai

> Lujiazui is Shanghai's skyscraper district in Pudong, straight across the Huangpu from the Bund. The best of it is free: the circular pedestrian skywalk beside the Oriental Pearl Tower and the riverside promenade facing the Bund. It's open around the clock, lit up in the evening. Allow 45–90 minutes on foot; tower observation decks cost extra.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui

- City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China
- YesGo score: 48/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 45 min
- Opening hours: Open 24/7 — streets, skywalk and promenade; lights in the evening, unofficially until about 22:00
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry: Free — skywalk, elevated walkways, promenade and Central Green
- When: 24/7; skyline and Bund lights in the evening, off around 22:00
- Skywalk: A ring above the junction by the Oriental Pearl Tower, reached by escalators from the street and Lujiazui station
- Metro: Lujiazui, Lines 2 and 14; Exit 1 for the ring skywalk
- Ferry from the Bund: Jinling East Rd – Dongchang Rd, ¥2; from the Bund 7:15–18:30, from Pudong 7:15–18:15
- Evening ferry: Dongchang Rd – East Fuxing Rd, until 21:00
- Observation decks: In the towers, paid — see the comparison below
- Time needed: 45–90 minutes on foot; half a day with a tower
- Coordinates: 31.23889, 121.49722
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **Free** — the skywalk, the walkways between towers and the riverside promenade (source: Chinese Wikipedia; ArchDaily)
- **Facing the Bund** — on a peninsula in a bend of the Huangpu, on the east bank (source: English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **4 towers** — Shanghai Tower, the SWFC, Jin Mao and the Oriental Pearl, all within a short walk (source: English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **117.5 m** — diameter of the Mingzhu ring skywalk; the deck is 9.7 m wide (source: Chinese Wikipedia)
- **45 km** — of continuous Huangpu waterfront on both banks, Yangpu Bridge to Xupu Bridge (source: China Daily; Pudong district government)
- **≈ 2.5 km** — length of the Binjiang Avenue promenade in Lujiazui (source: ArchDaily)
- **1990** — the year Pudong's development and opening-up was announced (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Cape of the Lu family** — meaning of 陆家嘴, after the Ming-era scholar-official Lu Shen (source: English Wikipedia)
- **≈ 10 ha** — Lujiazui Central Green, a lawn-and-ponds park between the towers (source: Travel China Guide)
- **31.78 km²** — area of the Lujiazui finance and trade zone (source: English Wikipedia)

> **Arrive an hour before sunset** You'll get the Bund in daylight, the sunset behind it and the towers switching on. Unofficially the lights usually go off around **22:00**, later on public holidays. The handy **Jinling–Dongchang** ferry from the Bund stops at 18:30, so after dark cross by metro or by the Fuxing–Dongchang ferry, which runs until 21:00.

## Is Lujiazui worth visiting?

Yes — especially at dusk, and especially if you've already seen the skyline from the Bund. Lujiazui flips the view: from here you look back at the Bund's early-20th-century banks and hotels, with fewer people around you. Walking it costs nothing, and the skyscrapers are impressive even from street level.

It's less rewarding at midday in haze, when the towers fade into grey and the promenade has little shade. If you only have one evening in Shanghai, YesGo would spend it on the Bund itself; with two, give the second one to Lujiazui.

## The Lujiazui skywalk

The skywalk is a steel ring over the big junction at the foot of the [Oriental Pearl Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/oriental-pearl-tower), where Century Avenue meets the Lujiazui ring road. According to Chinese Wikipedia, this Mingzhu ring is **117.5 m across** with a 9.7 m-wide deck and opened in 2010. Cars stay below; you stay above.

Elevated walkways branch off it to Super Brand Mall, to Shanghai IFC and the metro, and along Century Avenue past Jin Mao towards the SWFC, so you can cross the district without dealing with traffic. Escalators and stairs lead up from the pavements.

The ring itself is a viewpoint, not an attraction: it's where all four towers line up above you, and at night it glows in its own right. Give it 15–20 minutes, then head for the river.

## Riverside promenade and the Bund view

The promenade along **Binjiang Avenue** is the best free view of [the Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund). ArchDaily puts this stretch at about 2.5 km, and it's part of the 45 km of waterfront that has run unbroken along both banks of the Huangpu since January 2018. Walking, running and cycling lanes are kept separate.

The classic spot is the curve of the bank right in front of the Oriental Pearl: the whole Bund fits into one frame, from Waibaidu Bridge in the north to the piers in the south. Walk south towards Dongchang Road pier and you can frame the Bund with the towers behind you as well.

## Things to do in Lujiazui

- **Walk the ring skywalk** — the best street-level angle on all four towers at once.
- **Follow the Binjiang Avenue promenade** — Bund panorama by day, both banks lit up after dark.
- **Pick one tower to climb** — [Shanghai Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower), the [Shanghai World Financial Center](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-world-financial-center), [Jin Mao Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jin-mao-tower) or the Oriental Pearl; free to admire from outside, ticketed to go up.
- **Rest in Lujiazui Central Green** — about 10 ha of lawn and ponds tucked between the skyscrapers.
- **Find Chen Guichun's mansion** — a shipping magnate's 1925 house among the towers; per Shanghai Daily it now holds the Wu Changshuo Memorial Hall.
- **Take the ¥2 ferry** from Dongchang Road pier for a few minutes on the water.

## How to get to Lujiazui

1. From the Bund at Nanjing Road, walk back along pedestrian East Nanjing Road to **East Nanjing Road** station (Lines 2 and 10) — about 10 minutes.
2. Take **Line 2** towards Pudong for one stop under the river to **Lujiazui**.
3. Leave by **Exit 1** and ride the escalator up to the ring skywalk; for Shanghai Tower, Exit 6 is closer.
4. From the ring, walk down past the Oriental Pearl to the river — the promenade starts right behind the tower, about 5 minutes away.
5. By day you can cross by ferry instead: **Jinling East Road** pier on the Bund to **Dongchang Road** (¥2; last boat from the Bund 18:30), then walk about 1 km north along the river.
6. Heading back after dark, take Line 2 to East Nanjing Road or the Dongchang Road – East Fuxing Road ferry until 21:00. The [Bund Sightseeing Tunnel](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel) also connects both banks, but it's a paid ride with no river view.

## Cost and paying for transport

The skywalk, walkways, promenade and Central Green are all **free** — no tickets, no gates. You only pay for getting there and for any observation deck. The metro hop from East Nanjing Road is a minimum fare, and the ferry is ¥2 per foot passenger at the official rate.

**Payment:** metro gates take contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards issued abroad, as well as Alipay QR codes and transport cards; foreign cards can also be linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay. This is unofficial, so carry a little cash in yuan as a backup.

## Which Lujiazui tower should you climb?

|  | Shanghai Tower | SWFC | Jin Mao | Oriental Pearl |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Height | 632 m | 492 m | 420.5 m | 468 m with spire |
| Viewing level | Floor 118, 546 m | Floors 94–100, up to 474 m | Floor 88 | 263 m, capsule at 351 m |
| Go for | The highest view in Shanghai | Glass floor, neighbouring towers up close | Shanghai Tower right next to you | The icon itself and its glass floor |
| Opening | Daily | Seasonal — check first | See the tower's page | Daily |

One deck is plenty — the views overlap. Shanghai Tower for height, the Oriental Pearl for the landmark itself. Prices, hours and passport rules are on each tower's page.

## What is Lujiazui?

陆家嘴 means "Cape of the Lu family": a cape in the bend of the Huangpu, named after the family of Lu Shen, a Ming-dynasty scholar-official. Into the 20th century this was a riverside of wharves, warehouses and low houses.

Modern Lujiazui grew after 1990, when Pudong's development and opening-up was announced. The Oriental Pearl went up first, followed by Jin Mao, the SWFC and Shanghai Tower. Officially it's a 31.78 km² finance and trade zone; for a visitor, it's the handful of blocks between the metro and the river.

## Before you go

- [ ] I know today's sunset time and will arrive an hour before
- [ ] Taking the ferry from the Bund? I'll be there before 18:30
- [ ] I can pay for the metro: contactless card, Alipay or cash
- [ ] Comfortable shoes — the loop is a couple of kilometres
- [ ] If I'm going up a tower, I've picked one and brought my passport
- [ ] Weather checked — smog and rain blur the lights

## Shanghai after dark: compare and choose

Places in Shanghai worth an evening, as scored by YesGo.

- [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
- [Shanghai Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥180; students and 60+ ¥120
- [Shanghai World Financial Center](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-world-financial-center) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · CNY 180, seasonal
- [Oriental Pearl Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/oriental-pearl-tower) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥199 — two spheres
- [Lujiazui](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free
- [Jin Mao Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jin-mao-tower) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥120; Skywalk from ¥288
- [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Xintiandi](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xintiandi) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Bund Sightseeing Tunnel](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return
- [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2
- [Tianzifang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/tianzifang) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Former French Concession](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-french-concession) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free
- [Shanghai Disneyland](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-disneyland) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥475–799, priced by date
- [Xitang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xitang) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening

## The Bund and Lujiazui in one evening

The Bund in daylight, across to Pudong, the skywalk and promenade at sunset, one tower, then a cruise under the lights. YesGo works out the timing and walks.

1. [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
2. [Lujiazui](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free
3. [Oriental Pearl Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/oriental-pearl-tower) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥199 — two spheres
4. [Shanghai Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥180; students and 60+ ¥120
5. [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2

## Don't mix them up

The Lujiazui skywalk crosses a road junction, not the river — you can't walk to the Bund on it. Guides use "skywalk" for three different things: this ring, the glass corridor on the SWFC's 100th floor and the open-air walk on Jin Mao's 88th floor. Shanghai IFC is a mall by the metro, not the Shanghai World Financial Center.

## Tips

- The best free shot of the Bund is from the bend of the promenade right in front of the Oriental Pearl.
- For all four towers in one upward frame, stand on the ring skywalk near Super Brand Mall.
- In daytime the ¥2 Jinling–Dongchang ferry gives you most of a cruise's river view.
- Need a break? Central Green's lawns are a few minutes from the ring.
- Don't stack two observation decks — the views overlap; spend the time on the promenade instead.
- Late at night, head back by metro: the daytime ferry has stopped by then.

## Questions

### Is Lujiazui free to visit?

Yes. The skywalk, walkways, riverside promenade and Central Green are free. Only the tower observation decks charge admission.

### What is the Lujiazui skywalk?

A circular pedestrian bridge over the junction beside the Oriental Pearl Tower, linked to walkways between the towers. Chinese Wikipedia gives it a 117.5 m diameter.

### How do I get to Lujiazui from the Bund?

Metro Line 2 from East Nanjing Road, one stop to Lujiazui, Exit 1. By day, the Jinling East Road – Dongchang Road ferry costs ¥2; the last boat from the Bund leaves at 18:30.

### What's the best time to visit Lujiazui?

About an hour before sunset, so you see the Bund in daylight, the sunset and the lights. Unofficially, the lights go off around 22:00.

### Where's the best view of the Bund from Pudong?

The curve of the Binjiang Avenue promenade in front of the Oriental Pearl Tower, where the whole Bund fits in one frame.

### How long do you need in Lujiazui?

45–90 minutes for the skywalk and promenade; 2.5–3 hours if you add one observation deck.

### Which observation deck in Lujiazui is best?

Shanghai Tower for the highest view, the SWFC for its glass floor when it's open, the Oriental Pearl for the landmark itself. One is enough.

### Can you walk across the river from Lujiazui?

No. The skywalk only crosses roads. To reach the Bund, use the metro, a ferry or the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel.

### Is Lujiazui good with kids or a stroller?

Yes: the promenade is flat and car-free. Escalators lead up to the skywalk, but with a stroller it's easier to reach the river at street level.

## How we checked

Ferry fares, piers and hours come from the Shanghai government's page, hence "official". The skywalk's dimensions (117.5 m, 9.7 m) and opening year (2010) are from Chinese Wikipedia; we found no second source with figures, and 2012 English blog posts say it opened "last year", so it may be 2010 or 2011. The metro exit for the skywalk is from a travel guide — unofficial. The time the lights go off is unofficial. Tower heights and floors match YesGo's tower pages and Wikipedia; we don't repeat prices here. Payment methods are unofficial. The English core comes from English-language search results and related questions.

## Sources

- English Wikipedia: Lujiazui — name, history, area, ferries, metro; Wikidata Q1074628
- Chinese Wikipedia: 陆家嘴中心区二层步行连廊 — Mingzhu ring, dimensions, opening year, walkways
- Shanghai Municipal Government (english.shanghai.gov.cn): Exploring Shanghai by boat — ferries, piers, hours, fares
- China Daily, 23.02.2018; Pudong district government, 17.01.2018 — the 45 km Huangpu waterfront
- ArchDaily, 26.03.2021 — Binjiang Avenue
- Travel China Guide — Lujiazui, Central Green, transport
- tour-beijing.com — metro exit for the skywalk, ferry; amusingplanet.com, 2012 — the skywalk
- Shanghai Daily (via Meet-in-Shanghai) — Chen Guichun's mansion

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