Shanghai Tower vs Oriental Pearl: Pudong Skyline Guide

This guide is written by an editorial team based in Chongqing — the editor has lived in mainland China since 2018 but is not a Shanghai resident. It draws on first-hand 2023-2026 visits to Lujiazui and the Pudong skyline, plus aggregated 2024-2026 r/shanghai reports. Path-2 editorial-aggregated with a disclosed knowledge boundary (see about page); deck prices and packages change, so confirm when you book.

The decision: which deck?

The most useful thing to know before you go to Lujiazui: the view from any high observation deck there is broadly the same — the same city, the same river, the same Bund across the water. So this is a pick-one decision, not a checklist.

Shanghai Tower (上海中心大厦) — 632 m, the tallest building in China and the second-tallest in the world. Its observation deck (floor 118, around 546 m) is the highest view in the city, reached by some of the fastest elevators in the world. Ticket around ¥180. Choose this for the highest, most impressive deck.
Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠) — 468 m, a 1990s broadcast tower with its distinctive spheres. Shorter, but it is the icon of the Shanghai skyline, and it has a glass-floor skywalk. Ticket around ¥160. Choose this for the retro-icon experience and the skywalk — and note that the Oriental Pearl is the tower you can include in your Bund photos, which the Shanghai Tower is not (you cannot photograph the skyline while standing on it).

The Shanghai World Financial Center (the “bottle opener”, 492 m, glass-floor deck near the top) and the Jin Mao Tower (421 m, with the dramatic Grand Hyatt atrium inside) are alternatives in the same band — not additions. The view does not change enough to justify going up two.

The four towers at a glance

Tower	Height	The pitch
Shanghai Tower	632 m	Highest deck (fl. 118), world's 2nd-tallest building
Shanghai World Financial Center	492 m	The “bottle opener”; glass-floor deck near the top
Oriental Pearl Tower	468 m	The skyline icon; spheres + glass skywalk
Jin Mao Tower	421 m	Deck plus the Grand Hyatt atrium

Deck tickets run roughly ¥160-180 depending on tower, package and season; buying ahead online (including via Trip.com) can be cheaper and skips a queue. Confirm current pricing when you book.

Decided by what you want

Highest possible view → Shanghai Tower, floor 118.
The icon experience + a glass skywalk → Oriental Pearl Tower.
You would rather not go up at all → the free view of the towers from the Bund across the river is the iconic Shanghai shot, and it costs nothing. Honestly, for many visitors this is the higher-value option.

Getting to Lujiazui

Take Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui station — the towers cluster immediately around the station exits, a short walk apart, linked by elevated pedestrian walkways so you never deal with traffic. Lujiazui is one Line 2 stop across the river from the Bund side (Nanjing East Road); a public ferry also crosses the Huangpu.

When to go

Two things decide whether a deck visit pays off:

Weather. Shanghai haze can flatten the view to grey. Check the forecast and air quality, and keep your timing flexible — a clear day is worth waiting for.
Time of day. Late afternoon into early evening is the sweet spot: you catch daylight, sunset and the city lights coming on in a single visit. Weekends and Chinese public holidays mean long elevator queues — a weekday and a pre-booked timed ticket both help.

Frequently asked questions

Shanghai Tower or Oriental Pearl — which observation deck should I visit?

Pick one, not both — the view from any high deck in Lujiazui is broadly the same city laid out below. Shanghai Tower (632 m, the world's second-tallest building, deck around ¥180) is the technically superior choice: it is the highest deck, with the fastest elevators. Oriental Pearl Tower (468 m, around ¥160) is shorter, but the tower itself is the icon of the Shanghai skyline — and the practical point is that you can photograph the Bund with the Oriental Pearl in the shot, whereas you cannot photograph the skyline with the Shanghai Tower if you are standing on it. Choose Shanghai Tower for the highest view; choose Oriental Pearl if the retro-icon experience and its glass skywalk appeal more.

How high is each Pudong tower?

Shanghai Tower is 632 m — the tallest building in China and (as of 2026) the second-tallest in the world; its observation deck on floor 118 is around 546 m up. The Shanghai World Financial Center (the 'bottle opener') is 492 m with a deck near the top. The Jin Mao Tower is 421 m. The Oriental Pearl Tower is 468 m — it is a broadcast tower rather than an occupied skyscraper, with several spheres and viewing levels including a glass-floor skywalk.

How much do the observation decks cost?

Approximately: Shanghai Tower around ¥180 for the floor-118 deck; Oriental Pearl around ¥160 for a combined-spheres ticket including the glass skywalk; the Shanghai World Financial Center deck and Jin Mao Tower deck are in a similar range. Prices vary by package and season, and buying ahead online (including through Trip.com) can be cheaper and lets you skip a queue. Treat these as ballpark figures and confirm current pricing when you book.

How do I get to Lujiazui and the towers?

Take Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui station — the towers are clustered immediately around the station exits, a short walk apart from each other. Lujiazui is one stop across the river from the Bund side (Nanjing East Road) on Line 2. There is also a public ferry across the Huangpu, and elevated pedestrian walkways connect the tower bases so you can move between them without dealing with traffic.

Is an observation deck worth it, or is the view from the ground enough?

The best free view of the Pudong towers is from the Bund, looking across the river — that is the iconic shot and it costs nothing. An observation deck gives you the reverse: the city spread out below you from inside the skyline. It is worth doing once if you enjoy high views and the weather is clear; on a hazy or rainy day the payoff drops sharply. If your budget or time is tight, the free Bund view is the higher-value option.

When is the best time to go up a Pudong tower?

Go on a clear day — Shanghai haze can flatten the view, so check the forecast and air quality, and be ready to flex your timing. Late afternoon into early evening is the sweet spot: you get daylight, sunset, and the city lights coming on, all from one visit. Weekends and Chinese public holidays bring long elevator queues; a weekday helps, and a pre-booked timed ticket helps more.

What about the Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower?

Both have observation decks and both are worth knowing about, but for most visitors the decision is still 'pick one'. The Shanghai World Financial Center (the 'bottle opener', 492 m) has a deck with glass floors near the very top. The Jin Mao Tower (421 m) has a deck and a dramatic atrium inside the Grand Hyatt hotel that occupies its upper floors. If you are choosing purely on height, Shanghai Tower wins; the others are alternatives, not additions — the view does not change enough to justify two.

Related Shanghai guides

Shanghai city guide — the full hub: things to do, getting around, where to stay, what to eat, and practical essentials.
The Bund — the free view of these towers, from across the river.
Things to do in Shanghai — the 11 curated picks with a 3-day timeline.
Where to stay in Shanghai — Pudong / Lujiazui is the skyline-view hotel area.

Browse Pudong / Lujiazui hotels on Trip.com →

Footer — verification scope

Verified first-hand by this editor: 2023-2026 visits to Lujiazui and the Pudong waterfront.

Not verified first-hand: current observation-deck ticket prices and packages (these change — confirm when you book). Editor is based in Chongqing, not Shanghai — Path-2 editorial-aggregated with disclosed knowledge boundary.

Sources: editorial team based in Chongqing (8-year mainland-China resident), editor's about page, first-hand Lujiazui visits 2023-2026, r/shanghai threads 2024-2026.