When In Shanghai: Oriental Pearl TV Tower

It has been over a decade since I last visited China. All I could remember was having a hard time communicating what I want. My aunt even had to go inside the kitchen to point out that we wanted rice with our dishes. Yes, that happened. Anyway, this time around, we went to Shanghai, Suzhou and Wuxi for a packed tour of the must-see places. And our first stop in Shanghai was…

Oriental Pearl TV Tower!

It’s hard to miss Oriental Pearl TV Tower (or OPG which stands for Oriental Pearl Group) with its bead like structure. It used t be the tallest tower in Shanghai till two other skyscrapers surpassed it.

For 160 Yuan (or PHP1,120) per head, we were able to gain access of the observation deck and the glass-floor skywalk which is 1,535 feet off the ground.

 

The place was packed when we visited. 

We had to wait for about 10-15 minutes for us to get to the elevator which will lead us to the 263^rd floor.

There we got a beautiful view of Shanghai and its ports.

I was awed with how much business flows through its ports in one day.

I also spotted a cruise ship docked there and I’m definite some of those passengers were with us appreciating the view from the tower.

We also took some time to spot some buildings featured in the frames placed near the floor to ceiling windows. But we couldn’t find it as the photos were outdated and the buildings photographed must have been drowned by newer and taller infrastructures.

After a few minutes, we then moved down one floor to the famous glass-bottom skywalk.  

It took me a while before getting used to walking on the glass floor. I was really scared at first as the place was packed! I was uncertain if the glass flooring could withstand that much weight. Then again, after a while, I got used to it… till R started jumping! It frightened me so much more! Just imagine plummeting to the ground from the 262^nd floor! Scary! >.<

 

After circling the skywalk twice, we decided to head back inside (since it was really chilly too that day at 8 degrees). And while waiting for the others to finish taking their Instagram-worthy photos, we were mesmerized by the commercial loop of Oriental Pearl TV Tower’s revolving restaurant. Deemed as the second highest revolving restaurant in Asia, it is bound to have a magnificent view. But what captured our interest was the amazing marbling of the salmon sashimi. At 298 Yuan per person for lunch and 328 Yuan per person for dinner, I think it’s a fair price to pay. (Those fees also cover access to the observation deck and skywalk!)

We spent a bit of time exploring the shopping area located on the lower ground and spotted several interesting pieces such as…

Adorable tumblers.

Sweets.

And a Coca-Cola themed café.

I was thrilled to see the Coca-Cola polar bear. I noticed that the polar bear has small eyes though. It sort of emphasized that I was in China.

Overall, it was a nice start of the tour and it was even more special as I got to spend it with R.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located at 1 Century Avenue, Pudong, Shanghai, China.