Dongfang Mingzhu and the stacked spheres over the Huangpu River
Published on 09/02/2026 at 22:17 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Dongfang Mingzhu is the Chinese name for the Oriental Pearl Radio and Television Tower, a steel television tower completed in 1994 in the Lujiazui area of Shanghai’s Pudong New Area. Rising to 468 m (1,535 ft), it stands beside the Huangpu River opposite the Bund, its stacked spheres marking one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the city’s late twentieth-century skyline.
Steel, spheres and a riverfront skyline
The structure of Dongfang Mingzhu is defined by its series of steel spheres arranged along a slender vertical axis, supported by slanting legs that meet the ground near the edge of the Huangpu River. The composition gives the tower a distinctive profile when seen from the river ferries and from the Bund, where the spheres appear to step upwards above the low riverfront promenade and align with the glass and steel of Pudong’s financial district behind.The tower’s steel spheres form the main enclosed volumes of the structure.
The overall height of 468 m places Dongfang Mingzhu among the taller structures in Shanghai, alongside towers such as Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center that later rose in the same district.The figure of 468 m is a standard reference given for the tower’s total height, including the antenna mast. At night, the spheres and vertical shafts are illuminated in bands that emphasise the layered form and reflect on the surface of the Huangpu, tying the tower visually to the bridges, quays and river traffic that define this stretch of Shanghai.
A product of 1990s Pudong and its designers
Construction of Dongfang Mingzhu began in the early 1990s, during the phase when Pudong’s riverfront was being developed as a new high-rise district for Shanghai. The tower was structurally completed in 1994, and it opened to visitors in 1995, combining its broadcasting role with public access to viewing levels.The period from 1991 to 1994 is widely given for its construction, with 1995 marking the start of regular public visits.
The architects associated with Dongfang Mingzhu include Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd., with principal designers Jiang Huan Chen, Lin Benlin and Zhang Xiulin.These named designers shaped the multi-sphere configuration that distinguishes the tower among late twentieth-century television and radio structures. After its completion in 1994, Dongfang Mingzhu held the status of China’s tallest structure until 2007, when it was overtaken by Shanghai World Financial Center, another tower in the Pudong skyline.This period as China’s tallest structure underlines the tower’s role in marking a new phase of high-rise construction in the city.
Observation levels, museum halls and city views
Beyond its function as a radio and television tower, Dongfang Mingzhu incorporates enclosed observation levels within its spheres, giving visitors elevated views over the Huangpu River, the Bund and the grids of streets in both Pudong and Puxi. The upper spheres contain viewing galleries with continuous windows, where the river bends and intersecting bridges can be traced across the landscape of Shanghai’s central districts.Sets of observation decks are described at several heights within the tower.
Within the lower parts of the structure, exhibition spaces and a museum on Shanghai’s urban history introduce historical streetscapes and the development of the city’s riverfront. The combination of broadcasting equipment, public observatories, exhibition halls and dining spaces makes Dongfang Mingzhu a mixed-use tower, where technical infrastructure and visitor facilities share the same structural frame. The presence of high-speed lifts, glass-walled corridors and enclosed platforms reflects a late twentieth-century approach to television towers as both infrastructure and accessible landmarks.
Visiting Dongfang Mingzhu: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Dongfang Mingzhu stands in Lujiazui in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River and across from the Bund in the older Puxi districts.
- The tower rises to 468 m (1,535 ft), and visiting the observation levels involves enclosed lifts and interior circulation between spheres rather than open stairways on the exterior.
- Shanghai is in China, where the official language is Chinese and the currency is the renminbi.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Dongfang Mingzhu on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Dongfang Mingzhu
Where is Dongfang Mingzhu located in Shanghai?
Dongfang Mingzhu stands in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong New Area, on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River directly across from the Bund.
What can visitors expect inside Dongfang Mingzhu?
Inside the tower, visitors encounter enclosed observation levels, exhibition halls and a museum on Shanghai’s urban history, alongside the technical equipment needed for radio and television broadcasting.
What makes Dongfang Mingzhu distinctive among Shanghai’s towers?
Dongfang Mingzhu is distinguished by its stacked steel spheres, its 468 m height and its dual role as both a broadcasting tower and a public observation and exhibition space.
