The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located in Pudong Park in Lujiazui, Shanghai. The tower, surrounded by the Yangpu Bridge in the northeast and the Nanpu Bridge in the southwest, creates a picture of 'twin dragons playing with pearls'. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors year-round. This 468 meters (1,536 feet) high tower is the world's third tallest TV and radio tower surpassed in height only by towers in Toronto, Canada and Moscow, Russia. However, even more alluring than its height is the tower's unique architectural design that makes the Oriental Pearl TV Tower one of the most attractive places anywhere. The base of the tower is supported by three seven-meter wide slanting stanchions. Surrounding the eleven steel spheres that are 'strung' vertically through the center of the tower are three nine-meter wide columns. There are three large spheres including the top sphere, known as the space module. Then there are five smaller spheres and three decorative spheres on the tower base. The entire structure rests on rich green grassland and gives the appearance of pearls shining on a jade plate.
With a unique design composed of balls and columns, the tower has become Shanghai's newest landmark and a big magnet for tourists. The designers magically set the eleven beautiful spheres of various sizes up from the green grassland to the blue sky with two giant spheres shining like two rubies. The whole design is rich in poetic and pictorial splendor, which gives the tourist the impression that pearls of various sizes are dropping onto the emerald plate.
The Oriental Pearl Tower consists of three big columns, which are 9 meters in diameter, the space module, the upper sphere, the lower sphere, five small spheres, tower base and the square. In the tower, there is a double-decker elevator, which can hold fifty people at a time, and a two-speed elevator that can run at a speed of 7 meters per second. The tower is equipped with three-dimensional lighting installation, which makes the whole tower very colorful and beautiful.
The sightseeing floor in the brilliant upper sphere is 263 meters high and 45 meters in diameter; it is the best place to get a bird's eye-view of Shanghai. When it is sunny, it makes one relaxed and happy to see the distant views of the Sheshan, the Chongming Island and the Yangtze River. In the upper sphere, there are also the Revolving Restaurant, the Disco Hall, the Piano Bar and twenty KTV rooms.
The Space module, with a height of 350 meters, towers into the sky. Inside of this is set the Sightseeing Floor, Conference Hall and Coffee Bar. They are elegant and luxurious, enjoying exceptional advantages.
