China Naming Network - Ziwei Dou Shu - "Oriental Pearl" A shining pearl in Lujiazui

"Oriental Pearl" A shining pearl in Lujiazui

There are many TV towers all over the world, such as Toronto TV Tower, Moscow TV Tower and Tokyo Tower in foreign countries, China's Central Radio and TV Tower, Tianjin TV Tower, Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Guang Zhouta and so on. Many TV towers are similar in shape, but Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the most outstanding one, which is the most difficult, beautiful, artistic and futuristic one among many TV towers.

Some TV towers around the world

refer to Shanghai's landmark buildings, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower must be among them. Its unique shape is deeply imprinted in people's minds.

Puxi sees the "Oriental Pearl" in Lujiazui, Pudong and the Shanghai International Conference Center in perfect harmony

Some netizens said that the Oriental Pearl TV Tower was so ugly that it destroyed the geomantic omen in Lujiazui and said that it was demolished. In my opinion, Lujiazui, with the "Oriental Pearl", adds color to Lujiazui, which is the finishing touch of Lujiazui.

The "Oriental Pearl" is a punch-in landscape for tourists coming to Shanghai.

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower was built at the time of Pudong's development and opening-up. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower not only undertakes the transmission of Shanghai radio and television signals, but also serves as a landmark attraction for sightseeing. In recent 2 years, the "Oriental Pearl" has attracted countless Chinese and foreign tourists to punch in, impressed by its unique and beautiful shape, and it is like coming to a pilgrimage site.

Pudong Lujiazui and the "Oriental Pearl" seen from the bund of Puxi

The "Oriental Pearl" was opened in July 1991 and put into use in May 1995. The tower is 468m high and located at the tip of Lujiazui in Pudong, on the east bank of Huangpu River. The building looks like a rocket waiting to be launched, and several balls of different sizes are inserted in the tower, which symbolizes the artistic conception of "like a pouring of large and small pearls into a plate of jade".

Looking at Lujiazui and Oriental Pearl in Pudong from Puxi

As early as 1983, Shanghai envisaged to build a new TV tower to alleviate the overwhelming launching situation of the old TV tower, and initially considered the idea of choosing the venue in or near Lujiazui Pudong Park.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower at the time of construction

In 1988, East China Architectural Design Institute, Shanghai Civil Architectural Design Institute and Radio and Television Design Institute participated in the design scheme competition. The three design institutes designed 12 schemes, and after repeated solicitation and selection, the "Oriental Pearl" scheme of East China Architectural Design Institute was finally selected.

Looking at the "Oriental Pearl" light show in Lujiazui, Pudong from Puxi at night

Based on the geographical position and historical function of the tower, the designer used 15 round spheres of different sizes, which were scattered on the tower body and the ground, and the huge tower-shaped building composed of spheres and cylinders penetrated through the air showed the artistic conception of the poem "like a pouring of large and small pearls into a plate of jade" in the Tang poem "Pipa", which had both oriental charm and a sense of the future.

Looking at the "Oriental Pearl" in Puxi

The overall construction area of the Oriental Pearl Radio and Television Tower is nearly 1, square meters, and the TV tower has three spheres: upper, middle and lower. The upper ball is called a space capsule, with a diameter of 16m and four floors, with elevator room, conference hall and sightseeing floor. The space capsule is the highest point that can be reached for sightseeing. The middle sphere is 45m in diameter and has 9 floors. It is equipped with KTV private rooms in the air, a revolving restaurant with 4 seats and a lookout platform for 6 people. The lower sphere is 5m in diameter and has 4 floors. It is equipped with some amusement facilities. Three vertical cylinders are connected by five beams and inlaid with five balls. Each ball is about 12m in diameter, and each ball is an air hotel with 2 superior rooms.

Three giant columns embedded with five air hotels

The transmitting antenna mast of the TV tower is 11m long, and it has the ability to transmit 9 sets of TV and 1 sets of FM radio programs, covering the whole of Shanghai and neighboring provinces within a radius of 8km. The actual ground elevation of the main tower is 468m m.

"Oriental Pearl" and Shanghai International Conference Center are a perfect match

On May 1, 1995, when the Oriental Pearl Radio and Television Tower was officially opened, it received 15 foreign heads of state and heads of state that year. In 1996, 35 groups of foreign heads of state and government and 3 groups of foreign ministerial VIPs visited the tower.

The "Oriental Pearl" shines at night

Now the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has become a business card of Shanghai, even the world. When people come to Shanghai, they will definitely not miss the "Oriental Pearl".

Busy roads and the "Oriental Pearl" in the distance have excellent visual effects

The "Oriental Pearl" is the first key project in Pudong's development and opening up, which has great symbolic significance. Its unique shape makes people unforgettable. Looking at the "Oriental Pearl", you will not associate it with the TV tower, but you will feel that it is a building and a real pearl in your mind.