Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower: Why the Revolving Restaurant Is Worth a Visit

Oriental pearl tower restaurant

Located at the top of the luxurious Oriental Pearl Tower, the Oriental Pearl Tower Restaurant, or Oriental Pearl Revolving Restaurant, offers diners panoramic views of the city, 267 meters above beautiful Shanghai. This iconic venue is no mere restaurant. The tower is a destination as well for locals and travelers alike.

Delve into the detail below to discover why the Oriental Pearl Tower and its revolving restaurant should be on your Shanghai highlights list.

Oriental Pearl Tower – It’s a towering achievement

The Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower is a multi-purpose facility with sightseeing, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, the Shanghai History Museum, a cruise dock, and events center.

At 468 meter high, it stood as the tallest structure in China from 1994–2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center. Standing on the bank of the Huangpu River, it is central to Lujiazui and opposite The Bund, which is renowned for its grand architectural buildings with its variety of styles.

The Oriental Pearl Tower remains one of the most symbolic venues and tourism destinations in Shanghai. Classified as an ‘AAAAA’ scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration, it’s proclaimed The Oriental Pearl Tower Restaurant has one of the 10 best views in Shanghai.

The tower features 11 spheres, both big and small. The two largest spheres, along the length of the tower, are visible from great distances, as the tower is brightly illuminated in various LED sequences at night. The design and symbolism of the tower are said to be based on a verse of the Tang Dynasty poem, Pipa Song by Bai Juyi about the wonderful sprinkling sound of a Pipa instrument, like pearls, big and small falling on a jade plate.

‘AAAAA’ scenic views

Including the Oriental Pearl Revolving Restaurant, the tower has 15 Observation levels. The highest of these, known as the Space Module, is an awe-inspiring 350 meters high. Boasting an outdoor observation platform, not for the faint of heart, sightseers are protected from falling by a 50mm thick, transparent glass floor looking straight down onto the busy Shanghai streets below!

The lower sightseeing level is a still modest 263 meters above ground and the Space City floor rests at 90 meters. The Oriental Pearl Tower has a 20-room hotel, called the Space Hotel, between the two large spheres. There are also exhibition centers and a small shopping complex.

A basement museum and the history of Shanghai

Oriental pearl tower restaurant

The exhibitions of The Shanghai History Museum, in the basement of the tower, are truly incredible. The museum is a winding maze, full of great information about the development of Shanghai from its very beginning. Unsurprisingly, their attention to detail is impressive, giving great insights into the early lives of the rich and poor Chinese of Shanghai, and their ever-changing city. There are few better ways to understand Shanghai and its history than a visit to the Shanghai History Museum.

The Oriental Pearl Revolving Restaurant

Oriental pearl tower restaurant

Soaring at 267 meters above Shanghai’s bustling streets, this tower top revolving restaurant is an experience unlike any other, with its breathtaking views of the city in full vision beneath and all around you.

Traditional Chinese cuisine meets western-style cooking in epic fashion at the buffet. The food is delicious, however, if you don’t book your table in advance you’ll be watching the sights and the people eating! Our local guides help you through these processes to avoid missing out on any must-see sights, like the Oriental Pearl Tower and Revolving Restaurant.

When the sun goes down and the stars dot the vastness above. One of two breathtaking marvels can be seen. One is the night sky, scattered with countless stars, an unforgettable sight! The other is the mesmerizing illumination of the city-scape below and all around you.

Experience real Chinese sights with ChinaTours.com

Get more out of what you want in China! With our local experts guiding your holiday, you can discover what makes Shanghai culture so truly unique. The flexibility and freedom provided by ChinaTours.com mean every traveler can experience the real sights of Shanghai. Talk to your local guide on tour and take advantage of the buffet of lunch and dinner options available at The Oriental Pearl Revolving Restaurant.

A small group, private or custom tour of Shanghai is the ideal way to experience China when you travel with the friendliest China tour company. Arranging specialized inbound China tours for over ten years, we understand the importance of providing comfort, safety, and a real experience of China. What makes ChinaTours.com different? Our small group tour focus. We can even arrange private tours for one in twenty unique China destinations. 

About the author

ChinaTours.com

The ChinaTours.com blogger team brings you the best and most interesting information and China tour news gathered by our travel consultants, local travel guides, and partner providers. With our mission to create beautiful travel memories on your China tour, our travel guide provides ideas, tips, and insights to help bring your holiday alive.

Featured Tour

3 Day Classic Shanghai Tour


Destination
Shanghai
Tour Type
CustomPrivate

3 Day Classic Shanghai Tour

3 Day Classic Shanghai Tour
Genoveva G
1 contribution
Great tour with Linda in Beijing

June 2025 • Friends • Couples

This is our second tour with China tours, and it was fantastic. Linda was our guide in Beijing. She was great! She was very knowledgeable about history and culture and a very kind person. Our group was a mix of young and old, and she made our days in Beijing interesting for everyone. We highly recommend Linda and China tours!
Read more Read less

Written

Tofta2010
1 contribution
Very interesting and inspiring days!

June 2025 • Friends • Couples

Linda did an excellent job to explain and teaching us all about Chinese history and give us a good insight to all the places she showed us. We were a diverse group and even got our three children interred along the way. Thanks Linda!
Read more Read less

Written

Gavin M
1 contribution
100% fabulous experience

June 2025 • Family • Couples

The trip with China Tours was 100% fabulous. Everything about it was exactly as described. The tour guides were all wonderful, the hotels, and transfers (two bullet trains, two domestic flights) were amazing, everything went exactly as planned, and we had a great first trip to China. We did the 13 Days China Wonders & Pandas tour in June 2025. The balance was perfect between sightseeing with the guides and having free time to explore this amazing country at each destination. The high quality of the five guides along the way really made the trip. They were wonderful people without exception: professional, courteous, very knowledgeable, and friendly. The team at China Tours did truly great work in arranging everything, down to the last detail. Thank you very much for making this trip a really great experience!
Read more Read less

Written

Susan B
1 contribution
The only way to visit China!

June 2025 • Couples • Couples

This is a fantastic tour. The tour guides are amazing- so knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The experience of visiting the historic sites has been made far richer than it would’ve been on our own. We have left China with a greater understanding of Chinese history, culture and its people.
Read more Read less

Written

Galia P
1 contribution
Absolutely fantastic guide

June 2025 • Family • Couples

Nancy was absolutely amazing. Knowledgeable, professional, kind and always on time. We had amazing 3 days with her. Recommend!!
Read more Read less

Written

Email subscription

Create even more great travel memories by staying up to date with the latest ChinaTours.com tour packages by subscribing to our exclusive Explore + Uncover travel magazine, China’s best travel guide.

For the very best in China tours

Filter our search options to find the best suited tour

Destination

Tour Durations

Reveal Tour Options

Quick Question

Expected reply 24 - 48 hours

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.