Tower · Shanghai, China
Oriental Pearl Tower
The Oriental Pearl Tower is a futurist TV tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai. Built 1998.
Photo: Ermell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Shanghai, China |
|---|---|
| Type | Tower |
| Built | 1998 |
| Architect | East China Architectural Design & Research Institute |
| Height | Height: 468 m |
| Coordinates | 31.2417° N, 121.4947° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Oriental Pearl Tower is known for
The Oriental Pearl Tower is a futurist TV tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai.
About Oriental Pearl Tower
The Oriental Pearl Tower is a futurist TV tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai. Built from 1991 to 1994, the tower was the tallest structure in China until the completion of nearby World Financial Center in 2007. Its status as Shanghai's first AAAAA tourist attraction, the tower's unique architecture, height, and fifteen observation decks have made it a cultural icon of the city.
History
An initial idea of building a new TV tower in downtown Shanghai in order to increase capacity and replace older infrastructure was introduced in a broadcast on August 25, 1983. On November 17 of the same year, the plan was refined and presented in Shanghai Media Group's sixth five-year plan. The tower was planned to be 400 metres (1,300 ft).
Planning a visit? Visit the official Oriental Pearl Tower website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Shanghai |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Changhai Airport (CNI) |
| Distance from the airport | 3.7 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) · Shanghai (Minhang), China · 9.9 miles away
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) · Shanghai (Pudong), China · 19.6 miles away
- Sunan Shuofang International Airport (WUX) · Wuxi, China · 65.2 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in China
More towers
Frequently asked questions
What is Oriental Pearl Tower?
The Oriental Pearl Tower is a futurist TV tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai.
Where is Oriental Pearl Tower located?
Oriental Pearl Tower is in Shanghai, China. Its coordinates are 31.2417° N, 121.4947° E.
How do I get to Oriental Pearl Tower?
The nearest town is Shanghai, and the nearest airport is Changhai Airport (CNI), about 3.7 miles away (straight line).
When was Oriental Pearl Tower built?
Oriental Pearl Tower was built 1998.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Pearl_Tower — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223207 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://orientalpearltower.com — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.