Modern China is growing and developing at a rapid pace. This is especially true of the city of Shanghai, in connection with which it is often called East Paris. Over the past few decades, it has acquired the status of a major financial and economic center not only in China, but throughout the world. In one of its business districts, like mushrooms after rain, dozens of modern skyscrapers with offices and banks have grown, each of which can be safely called a real architectural masterpiece. Be that as it may, one building that has become a local symbol — the Shanghai TV Tower, known as the “Oriental Pearl” —is particularly distinguished from their background. Among all other similar structures in Asia, it has the highest height.
general description
The construction of the facility, the project of which was developed by Chinese engineer Jia Huangcheng, lasted four years. The Shanghai Tower is located in the heart of the business district, on the east coast of Huangpu, and is surrounded by bridges. Their silhouettes are somewhat reminiscent of gigantic reptiles. The building was commissioned in 1995. Its highest point is at around 468 meters, and the estimated weight is 120 thousand tons.
Be that as it may, the imagination is not so much the dimensions of the building as its architectural design, which is not repeated anywhere else on the planet. In the appearance of a skyscraper, traditional Chinese concepts are harmoniously combined with modern technology. At its base are reinforced concrete cylinders, the diameter of which is nine meters. Eleven huge spheres, which are meant as pearls, are strung on the tower. The three largest balls among them have a functional purpose.
Structure
The lowest floor of the skyscraper is allocated under the historical museum of Shanghai. Its amazing interior and wax figures located inside very clearly and vividly reflect the life of local people. Genre episodes from real life are recreated at the expense of emeralds, agates, pearls, jade and jasper on a huge screen made of natural stone.
In each of the spheres, which are one of the main structural elements, there are galleries and shops. In the lowest among them is the “Space City” - an entertainment center, whose visitors have the opportunity to plunge into the world of science fiction and evaluate what advanced technological successes modern China has achieved. The middle part of the building is allocated for a business hotel complex, which includes conference rooms and 25 rooms. Above the second area is the Pearl of the East restaurant, which is the highest location of its kind in Asia. Another of its features is that it rotates around its own axis (one revolution per hour). The third sphere is installed at an altitude of 267 meters. It is used primarily as an observation deck. Along with this, there is a concert hall, a club and shops.
Functional purpose
Like other television towers in the world, the “Oriental Pearl” should primarily provide television and radio broadcasting. She copes with this task flawlessly. She currently broadcasts nine television channels and ten radio stations. The signal propagation radius is about 44 miles.
Immediately after its construction, the tower turned into the main symbol of the city. In this regard, the huge tourist significance of the skyscraper, which attracts an average of 2.8 million travelers annually, has become unsurprising. Optimum conditions have been created for visitors inside: there is a museum, shops, souvenir shops, restaurants and other institutions that allow you to have a great time.
Highest observation deck
As noted above, the Shanghai Tower has several viewing platforms. The highest of them is at 360 meters. An unforgettable experience can be obtained even from the ascent process itself. Only three of the six functioning elevators rise here. Two of them are capable of simultaneously transporting no more than 30 people. Their speed is 7 m / s. The last of the elevators, called the space module, is a two-story and develops 4 m / s. Its two decks accommodate a total of 50 passengers.
From the highest point offers a unique, bewitching view of the city of Shanghai. According to reviews of tourists, the metropolis looks much more beautiful in the evening. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the fact that in cloudless and clear weather you can clearly see the Yangtze River.
Interesting Facts
The entrance ticket, which gives the right to visit all the observation platforms on the tower, is 200 yuan.
When visiting the building, it is forbidden to carry not only piercing and cutting objects, but also water and lighters.
Initially, the Shanghai Tower was supposed to be made in pale green. Later, designers rejected this idea due to the fact that the city itself is vibrant and dynamic. In other words, the building would have looked dull and lost in its background.
Depending on the time of day, the color of the building can change from light pink to pearl, and at night its lights turn on.
All six elevators accompany the stewardess girls.
When riding the elevator, you can just look at the ceiling. There is a monitor broadcasting a video about the rise to a height.