Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower

The Ticket Gate of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located at the south podium entrance, adjacent to the Lujiazui Riverside Walk and facing Century Avenue. Designed with a "bright pearl" motif, its facade combines silver-white metal and glass, paired with LED ticker displays showing real-time queue and boarding information. Visitors must present their e-ticket QR code or ID card (swipe-to-enter), and pass through security and metal detectors. Inside the gate is the prelude hall, offering accessible lanes, luggage lockers, a baby-care room, and group reception counters. High-speed elevators at 9 m/s take guests directly to each observation level, with no fixed batch restrictions during opening hours. On holidays, arrive an hour early to avoid peak queues; on regular days, completing the ticket check before 9:30 offers a near-private tower experience.

Long Description**: The Main Observation Deck sits inside the tower's third sphere at 263 meters — the original core observation level open to the public. With a 20-meter inner diameter, the circular walkway is fully glazed, offering sweeping views of the Bund's historic buildings, Pudong's skyscrapers, and the winding Huangpu River. Sunset (around 17:30–18:30, seasonally shifting) brings Shanghai's most celebrated "golden hour" as city lights come on. The deck features transparent floor windows, photo spots, vending machines, and a light-snack corner. A wide-angle lens and a phone's night mode are recommended; be aware of glass glare, so press close to the glass or pick a column-free spot. The level connects by elevator to the 259m Skywalk, 350m Space Capsule, 78m "More Shanghai" immersive show, and the 0m Shanghai History Exhibition.

The 351-Meter Space Capsule sits inside the tower's highest sphere, originally completed in 2008 and upgraded in 2023 into a "space + metaverse" immersive experience venue. With a 14-meter inner diameter, its walls combine starry ceilings and mirrored metals, paired with holographic projections and surround sound, creating a "spacewalk" atmosphere. Highlights include 360° views of Shanghai's four skylines (Lujiazui, the Bund, North Bund, Xuhui Riverside), AI interactive photo booths (generating "astronaut" souvenir images), VR immersive "China Space Station" simulations, and remote-controlled "Yutu Lunar Rover" demos on the floor. The outer deck is a closed observation corridor with double-glazed safety glass, offering unobstructed full-city photography. Capacity is capped at 30 people with 10-minute rotations.

The Transparent Glass Skywalk runs along the underside of the tower's second sphere at 259 meters. Below the walkway, visitors can see Lujiazui's core traffic, the tower's signature "pearl-string" silhouette, the riverside promenade, and the Bund's historic skyline. The corridor features 6 "brave photo spots," with LED screens embedded beneath the glass that play a "star river" animation at night. The glass can support up to 800 kg per square meter, with a limit of 8 people per section. The skywalk is temporarily closed during strong winds, rain, or snow.

From here, visitors look up at the 351m Space Capsule "jade pillar" and down on the S-shaped bend of the Huangpu River and the Bund skyline. A breeze of Beaufort 3–5 makes for a refreshing experience; the terrace closes in winds above Beaufort 6. Access is via a dedicated gate on the 350m elevator level. No seating is provided; a 15–30 minute stay is recommended.

Long Description**: The "More Shanghai" Immersive Multimedia Show is located at 78 meters on the tower's main shaft. The theater has a 30-meter inner diameter with a 360° wraparound screen and a synchronized "motion floor" projection; seats rotate 360 degrees. The 10-minute show uses five chapters — River, Sea, Tide, Wind, Charm — to trace Shanghai's century-long evolution: from the 1843 treaty-port opening, 1920s Bund construction, 1949 liberation, 1990 Pudong development, 2010 World Expo, 2020 urban renewal, to 2035 planning vision. Capacity is 80 people, with a show every 15 minutes. It is best watched as a mid-tour interlude, serving as a "city-background lesson" before ascending the main observation levels.

The Shanghai History Development Exhibition Hall occupies approximately 6,000 square meters on Level 0 of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower's podium, one of China's earliest "tower + museum" themed venues. The hall is divided into five sections — Prelude, Shanghai before the Treaty Port, Rise of the Modern City, New China's Shanghai, and Pudong Development & New Shanghai — displaying more than 1,000 items including vintage photographs, archives, wax figure scenes, physical models, and interactive installations.