# Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai

> The Oriental Pearl Tower is Shanghai's 468 m TV tower with pink spheres, at the tip of Lujiazui in Pudong. The standard two-sphere ticket is ¥199: the 263 m deck, a 259 m glass-floor walkway and a city history museum. Unofficially it's open daily 9:00–21:00. Allow about 90 minutes and bring your passport.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/oriental-pearl-tower

- City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China
- YesGo score: 49/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 30 min
- Entry: ¥199 — two spheres
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Two-sphere ticket: ¥199 — 263 m deck, 259 m glass floor, 90 m outdoor ring, 78 m show, base museum
- With the 351 m Space Capsule: ¥220 in current guides; ¥299 on a 2024 price list
- Children: Under 1 m free; 1–1.4 m half price
- Seniors: 65+ half price at the ground-floor ticket windows with passport (one source)
- Revolving restaurant: 267 m; lunch buffet with tower access ¥368, dinner more
- Hours: Daily 9:00–21:00; last entry 20:30 or 20:00 depending on the seller
- Where to buy: Trip.com or Klook (foreign cards), the tower's WeChat account, or the ticket windows
- ID: Real-name tickets — bring your passport
- Address: 1 Century Avenue, Lujiazui, Pudong
- Metro: Lujiazui (Lines 2 and 14), Exit 1 or 2, 3–5 minutes on foot
- Time needed: ≈ 90 minutes; up to 2 hours with the capsule and museum
- Coordinates: 31.24167, 121.49472
- Facts checked: 03.11.2026

## Key facts

- **468 m** — total height including the spire (source: English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **259 m** — transparent glass-floor walkway around the upper sphere (source: Travel China Guide; Chinese Wikipedia; chinatravel.com)
- **351 m** — Space Capsule — the highest level open to visitors (source: English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **263 m** — main enclosed observation deck in the upper sphere (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **267 m** — revolving restaurant (source: Russian and Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **1994** — completed on 18 November; the deck opened to the public on 1 May 1995 (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **1991** — foundation laid on 30 July (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **50 m** — diameter of the lower sphere (source: Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **≈ 10,000 m²** — city history museum in the tower's base (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Wanderin China)
- **2007** — China's tallest structure until this year (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **Pipa Xing** — Bai Juyi's poem of pearls falling on a jade plate inspired the design (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)

## Oriental Pearl Tower tickets and prices

The standard **two-sphere ticket costs ¥199**. It covers the 263 m enclosed deck, the 259 m glass-floor walkway, the 90 m outdoor ring, a 78 m 360° projection show and the city history museum in the base. Two recent travel guides and the tower's own 2024 price list agree on this, but the official site blocks automated access, so we mark it unofficial.

Adding the **351 m Space Capsule** costs more — ¥220 in current guides, ¥299 on the 2024 list, probably because a new attraction was added up there. Check what's included before you pay. Under 1 m tall goes free, 1–1.4 m pays half; one guide says over-65s get half price at the ground-floor ticket windows with a passport.

Bundles add a 45-minute Huangpu cruise (around ¥279) or a meal in the revolving restaurant. During city festivals the tower sometimes sells these at half price.

**Paying as a foreigner:** the easiest route is an e-ticket on Trip.com or Klook, which take Visa and Mastercard. The tower's official WeChat mini-program needs WeChat Pay. On site, expect Alipay or WeChat Pay (both accept linked foreign cards) or cash yuan — unofficial; card terminals may not take foreign cards.

## Opening hours and the best time to go

Unofficially the tower is open **daily 9:00–21:00**. Last entry is 20:30 according to one guide and 20:00 according to a reseller, so aim to be at the lifts by 20:00. The base museum keeps the same hours.

The sweet spot is about an hour before sunset. You get daylight views, the sunset over the Bund and the moment the city lights come on, without queuing twice. Weekends, public holidays and summer evenings can mean waits of an hour or more; weekday mornings are calmest.

> **Passport, queues and haze** Tickets are real-name, so bring your **physical passport**. Book online and arrive early on weekends. On smoggy or cloudy days the 263 m deck shows mostly white haze — if the spheres disappear into cloud, move your visit.

## Is the Oriental Pearl Tower worth it?

Yes, if it's your first time in Shanghai and you want the landmark itself: the glass floor at 259 m, the river bend below and the history museum make it more than a viewing deck. With children it's the best of the Pudong towers, because there's plenty to do inside.

Not if all you want is height. [Shanghai Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower) next door goes almost twice as high, and from the Pearl you can't see the Pearl — the most photogenic part of the skyline. Weekends bring the longest queues in Lujiazui; if time is tight, go on a weekday or take the restaurant bundle with its separate entrance.

## What to see inside

- **The 259 m glass floor** — a fully transparent walkway around the upper sphere, with Lujiazui's streets beneath your feet. Reached by stairs from the 263 m deck.
- **The 263 m deck** — enclosed, with windows all round: the Bund's early 20th-century facades across the river and Pudong's three supertall towers beside you.
- **The 351 m Space Capsule** — the top level, by separate ticket and lift.
- **The 90 m outdoor ring** — open air on the lower sphere, plus a paid VR roller coaster.
- **The 78 m show** — a 360° projection about the city, about 10 minutes.
- **The city history museum in the base** — around 10,000 m² across several halls on how Shanghai changed in modern times. Don't walk past it, especially on a rainy day.
- **The lights** — the spheres change colour after dark; best seen from the [Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund).

## The revolving restaurant

The revolving buffet restaurant sits at **267 m** in the upper sphere, turning slowly so the whole city passes your table. A lunch bundle with two-sphere access costs about **¥368**; dinner is more — one guide quotes from ¥428.

Unofficially, lunch runs in two sittings (11:00–12:30 and 12:30–14:00) and dinner from 17:00. Unofficially, the bundle also comes with a separate entrance that skips the main lift queue. Dinner tables go fast in high season, so book a week or more ahead. YesGo's take: come for the view and the shortcut, not the food.

## How to get to the Oriental Pearl Tower

1. From the Bund at East Nanjing Road, walk back along pedestrian Nanjing Road to **East Nanjing Road** metro station — about 10 minutes.
2. Take Line 2 towards Pudong for one stop under the river to **Lujiazui**.
3. Leave by Exit 1 or 2 and head for the spheres — you can't miss them, 3–5 minutes on foot. Line 14 also stops at Lujiazui.
4. Visitors enter at the foot of the tower (1 Century Avenue): security, passport and QR-code check, then the lift.
5. Or ride the [Bund Sightseeing Tunnel](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel) under the river — it comes up right beneath the tower.
6. From Pudong Airport, take the Maglev to Longyang Road and change to Line 2 for Lujiazui; from Hongqiao airport and railway station, Line 2 runs direct.

## Oriental Pearl vs Shanghai Tower vs SWFC vs Jin Mao

|  | Oriental Pearl | Shanghai Tower | World Financial Center | Jin Mao Tower |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | TV tower with spheres | China's tallest skyscraper | The "bottle opener" | Pagoda-style skyscraper |
| Deck | 263 m, glass floor 259 m, capsule 351 m | Floor 118, 546 m | Floors 94–100, up to 474 m | Floor 88 |
| Adult ticket | ¥199 | ¥180 | ¥180, seasonal only | ¥120 |
| Best for | The landmark, glass floor, old-Shanghai museum | The highest view | Glass floor near the top | A close view of Shanghai Tower |

All prices are unofficial. For the highest view, Shanghai Tower. For the icon itself and the most to do inside, the Oriental Pearl — and it will still be in your photos from the Bund.

## A short history

The foundation was laid on 30 July 1991, the tower was completed in November 1994, and the observation levels opened to the public on 1 May 1995. At 468 m it was China's tallest structure until 2007, when the [Shanghai World Financial Center](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-world-financial-center) overtook it.

Three concrete columns carry the spheres; the lower one is 50 m across. The designers say the idea of "big and small pearls falling on a jade plate" came from Bai Juyi's Tang-dynasty poem Pipa Xing — hence the name.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] Physical passport — name matches the ticket
- [ ] Ticket booked online, or Alipay / WeChat Pay or cash ready
- [ ] Clear sky, spheres not in cloud
- [ ] Decided whether the 351 m capsule is worth it
- [ ] Reaching the lifts by 20:00
- [ ] 90 minutes to 2 hours set aside, including the museum
- [ ] Restaurant booked ahead, if you want it

## Shanghai's viewpoints compared

Every Shanghai viewpoint rated 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
- [Shanghai Maglev](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-maglev) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ¥50, ¥40 with a same-day flight
- [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2

## The Bund and Lujiazui in half a day

The Bund, the tunnel under the river straight to the tower, up into the spheres, then a walk through Lujiazui to Shanghai Tower. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
2. [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
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. [Lujiazui](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free
5. [Shanghai Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥180; students and 60+ ¥120

## Don't mix them up

The history museum in the tower's base is not the Shanghai History Museum, which moved in 2018 to the former Race Club building at 325 West Nanjing Road by People's Square. Nor is it the art-focused [Shanghai Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-museum). And among the towers: spheres — Oriental Pearl; twisting glass — Shanghai Tower; the hole at the top — the World Financial Center.

## Tips

- The best photo of the tower is from the Bund after dark, not from the tower itself.
- Ease onto the glass floor slowly — 259 m of nothing under your feet unsettles more people than you'd expect.
- Skip the 351 m capsule on hazy days — the extra height only pays off in clear air.
- On weekends the restaurant bundle earns its price by skipping the lift queue.
- Save half an hour at the end for the base museum.
- Children are measured at the gate: under 1 m free, up to 1.4 m half price.

## Questions

### How much is the Oriental Pearl Tower ticket?

¥199 for the two-sphere ticket (263 m deck, 259 m glass floor, museum). With the 351 m Space Capsule, ¥220 or ¥299 depending on the source. Under 1 m free, 1–1.4 m half price. These are unofficial figures.

### What are the Oriental Pearl Tower opening hours?

Unofficially daily 9:00–21:00, with last entry at 20:30 or 20:00 depending on the seller. Be at the lifts by 20:00 to be safe.

### Is the Oriental Pearl Tower worth visiting?

Yes for the landmark itself, the glass floor and the history museum, especially with kids. If you only want the highest view, choose Shanghai Tower instead.

### Which is better: Oriental Pearl or Shanghai Tower?

Shanghai Tower for height (546 m deck); the Oriental Pearl for the glass floor, museum and the classic landmark. Most people need only one.

### How do I get to the Oriental Pearl Tower?

Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui, Exit 1 or 2, then a 3–5 minute walk. From the Bund you can also take the Sightseeing Tunnel, which surfaces beneath the tower.

### How tall is the Oriental Pearl Tower?

468 m including the spire. The main deck is at 263 m, the glass floor at 259 m and the Space Capsule at 351 m.

### Do I need my passport?

Yes. Tickets are real-name, and ID is checked at entry.

### How much is the revolving restaurant?

About ¥368 for the lunch buffet with two-sphere access; dinner costs more. The restaurant is at 267 m — book dinner well ahead.

### How long do I need?

About 90 minutes for the decks and glass floor; up to 2 hours with the capsule and museum, plus queue time at weekends.

## How we checked

The English core comes from search results and related searches. The tower's official site and Ctrip block automated requests and we did not try to get around that, so all prices and hours are marked checking. The ¥199 two-sphere price matches Travel China Guide and Wanderin China (recent updates) and the tower's 2024 price list on bendibao. The capsule ticket differs: ¥220 (Wanderin China, chinatravel.com) vs ¥299 (2024 list) — both shown. Hours 9:00–21:00 come from Travel China Guide and bendibao; last entry is 20:30 or 20:00 depending on the seller. The 65+ discount appears only in Wanderin China. Heights and construction dates follow three Wikipedias and Travel China Guide; English Wikipedia gives public opening as 1 May 1995 while Travel China Guide says 1994, so we say completed 1994, opened 1995. Neighbouring towers' prices are from their YesGo pages. On-site payment methods are unofficial.

## Sources

- Travel China Guide — levels, tickets, hours, metro (updated 24.07.2026)
- Wanderin China — tickets, discounts, restaurant, queues, paying as a foreigner (05.06.2026)
- sh.bendibao.com — the tower's 2024 price list, recent festival offers, city history exhibition hall
- chinatravel.com — address, levels, metro (2021)
- English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia: Oriental Pearl Tower, Bund Sightseeing Tunnel; Wikidata Q223207
- The Paper, 31.10.2017 — the Shanghai History Museum's move to 325 West Nanjing Road

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