Dongfang Mingzhu in Shanghai and its 468 m skyline
Published on 09/08/2026 at 10:17 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Dongfang Mingzhu is Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower, a 468 m (1,535 ft) broadcast tower in Lujiazui on the Huangpu River. Built by Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd. and opened in 1995, it remains one of the city’s clearest modern landmarks.Opened in 1995
Three spheres above Lujiazui
The tower’s most striking feature is its chain of large spheres, set between three vertical columns. Their red and pink tones contrast with the pale structure beneath, and the tower reads as a stack of volumes rather than a single shaft.distinctive pink spheres
Its main body rises to 351 m (1,152 ft), with the antenna taking the total height to 468 m. The tower was completed in 1994 and opened in 1995, placing it among the defining late twentieth-century additions to Shanghai’s skyline.351 m (1,152 ft)
Broadcast tower and observation structure
Dongfang Mingzhu combines telecommunications, observation space, dining and exhibition functions within one structure. That mix gives the tower a different profile from a simple lookout point, with public spaces occupying several levels below the upper antenna.
The tower was conceived for Shanghai’s Pudong district, and its massing is easy to read from the river edge and the Bund opposite. The location in Lujiazui places it among the glass towers of the financial district, where its spheres remain visible from long stretches of the waterfront.Lujiazui on the Huangpu River
Jiang Huancheng and the tower’s late twentieth-century profile
The tower is associated with Jiang Huancheng and Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd., both central to its recorded design history. Its completion in the 1990s places it within a period when Pudong was taking shape as a major part of Shanghai’s modern cityscape.Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd.
The structure’s form is legible from a distance: three columns, stacked spheres and a slender upper section carrying the antenna. That combination gives Dongfang Mingzhu a profile unlike the rectangular towers around it, while keeping its function as a broadcast structure visible in the building itself.broadcast tower
Visiting Dongfang Mingzhu: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The tower stands in Lujiazui, Pudong, on the Shanghai side of the Huangpu River. Metro access to the district is straightforward, and the river crossing places the tower within a dense modern skyline.
- The structure rises to 468 m (1,535 ft). Its height is a key part of the experience, with upper levels set far above the surrounding streets and riverfront.
- English is not an official language in China. The official language is Mandarin Chinese and the currency is the Chinese yuan.
- The tower combines broadcast, observation and exhibition functions in one building. That mix makes it more than a single-viewpoint stop.
- The building’s three-sphere silhouette and red tones are visible from a long distance. The profile is easy to recognise from the waterfront and nearby districts.
Searching for Dongfang Mingzhu on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Dongfang Mingzhu
Where is Dongfang Mingzhu?
It stands in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, on the Huangpu River. The tower is part of the city’s eastern riverfront skyline.
What does a visit involve?
The building combines observation areas, exhibition spaces and dining facilities. Its height and layered structure make it a vertical visit rather than a single platform.
What makes it distinctive?
Its three spheres and antenna-topped profile make it instantly recognisable. The tower’s form also reflects Shanghai’s late twentieth-century push into tall, high-profile architecture.
