When Shanghai’s economic boom began about 20 years ago, Pudong — the district just east across the Huangpu River — was barely more than flat land. In a short span, however, Pudong transformed into a symbol of China’s modern future: a skyline filled with towering skyscrapers, newly relocated financial and commercial centers, and a major international airport. The Maglev, the world’s fastest commercial train, connects the airport to the city and recently carried me into Pudong in under eight minutes, reaching speeds up to 270 mph.
Where the Maglev links with Shanghai’s extensive metro network, I checked in at the newest five-star property in the district, Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai. The hotel features Shanghai’s largest sports club, an on-site brew pub, and seven executive floors designed for demanding business travelers. Positioned between the International Expo Centre and the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club, the Kerry—part of the Shangri‑La family but with a younger, sport-focused style—represents the cutting edge of upscale business hospitality in east Shanghai.
Pudong lacks the old-world charms of historic Shanghai, so I planned a half-day itinerary focused on its most impressive modern achievements: a tower-to-tower walk that would take me up into several of the district’s tallest structures. Since Pudong is where Shanghai reached new vertical heights—and because it contains three of the world’s tallest freestanding structures—I headed out to explore.
After a few stops on the metro, I arrived in the heart of futuristic Pudong. My first destination was the Jin Mao Tower, an 88-story building with a tiered silhouette reminiscent of a bamboo shoot and ranked among the world’s tallest buildings. Its observation deck sits 1,115 feet above street level and even displays a bit of contemporary Chinese sports history: the jersey and shoes of NBA star Yao Ming.
Directly across Century Boulevard stands another dominant landmark: the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. With its stacked spheres and slender columns, the tower has become a widely recognized emblem of modern Shanghai. Rising to 1,535 feet, it is one of the tallest TV towers in the world. Its large spheres house a shopping mall, a revolving restaurant, three observatories, and a basement museum that chronicles Shanghai’s colonial-era history. A full visit to the tower can take around two hours.
My final climb took me to the summit of Pudong’s then-tallest building, the Shanghai World Financial Centre. For a short period after its 2008 opening it was the tallest building globally and briefly held the record for the highest public observatory. The Sky Walk on the 100th floor, at 1,555 feet, offered a thrilling vantage point: a glass-floor section that lets visitors look straight down over the sprawling city below.
Pudong’s skyline is still evolving. When I return, the district will likely offer even more dramatic peaks. Towering beside the Shanghai World Financial Centre, the new Shanghai Tower is slated to join Pudong’s collection of soaring structures, pushing past the 2,000-foot mark and redefining the district’s skyline for urban explorers and architecture enthusiasts alike.
Weblinks
China National Tourist Office
Jin Mao Tower
Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai
Pudong New Area
Shanghai Maglev Train
Shanghai Metro
Shanghai New International Expo Centre
Shanghai Tower
Shanghai World Financial Centre
Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club