We all make mistakes in this world. Some are purely accidental. Others we go into knowing somewhere in the back of our minds that it's going to be a duesy. This one was of the latter variety.
When you think of Shanghai one image comes to mind: an imposing skyline bejeweled with an iconic tri-sphere tower. This TV tower built a scant 15 years after Deng began to open up the Chinese economy is known as the Oriental Pearl Tower. And for as cool as it may look in pictures it is waaaaay slicker when you see the skyline in person. To go to the top of this symbol of China's most modern city is the sort of thing I couldn't leave this place without having done. However, from every experience I've had here so far it was the wrong move. Any tourist attraction anywhere in China is overrun. If it's a well known attraction all bets are off. Moreover, the Expo is going on which means there are even more tourists in Shanghai than there would be normally. Clearly the waiting was going to be insane... but I had to do it anyway.
When you think of Shanghai one image comes to mind: an imposing skyline bejeweled with an iconic tri-sphere tower. This TV tower built a scant 15 years after Deng began to open up the Chinese economy is known as the Oriental Pearl Tower. And for as cool as it may look in pictures it is waaaaay slicker when you see the skyline in person. To go to the top of this symbol of China's most modern city is the sort of thing I couldn't leave this place without having done. However, from every experience I've had here so far it was the wrong move. Any tourist attraction anywhere in China is overrun. If it's a well known attraction all bets are off. Moreover, the Expo is going on which means there are even more tourists in Shanghai than there would be normally. Clearly the waiting was going to be insane... but I had to do it anyway.
Welcome... to hell.
I was under the impression I had purchased the best ticket available. Immediately after entering the wisdom of this move proved itself. There was a huge line wrapped around the tower and my 150 yuan ticket enabled me to walk past it. The poor schlubs then had another huge line once they got into the building. It probably saved me three hours, if not more.
Unfortunately my wait was still pretty bad. About two and a half hours. And Chinese lines are an oxymoron. Cutting is a way of life. Retaining your spot requires constant vigilance and everyone ends up packed in like sardines. It took me 45 minutes to get through what you're looking at and I was nowhere near done. Unbeknownst to me there was also a 300 yuan ticket, which included a meal in the revolving restaurant and allowed you to skip all of the lines.
Once I got to the elevator we went up to the second sphere... where we got to wait some more. Keep in mind that these lines move by roughly ten people once an elevator full decides to come back down.
The second elevator taking us to the sphere on the top. The floors are labeled in meters.
It better have a cool name considering what I went through to get there. At this point I was all but done for and wanted to spend only 15 minutes in the "space module" before leaving, but after all of that there was no way I was leaving with less than an hour in it. I ended up staying for about 4.
The view was pretty slick though. I should have gone the day before or the day after when there were crystal blue skies. This day had moderate smog.
Here it is folks. Type Oriental Pearl Tower into Google images and this is what you'll never get to see, the inside. However, I suffered so you can get a backstage pass.
She's refreshed. The small children were sleeping in their parents arms through the wait.
The slightly more tranquil bottom floor of the space module.
Say cheeeese! Commie cameras know no bounds. Seriously, if you want to make a ton of money manufacture security cameras in China. There's usually two on every corner.
Stairway in the third sphere.
Floor of the third sphere. I took 150 pictures of every little detail.
Glass floor on the balcony of the second sphere. They had to throw the peons and their lowly 100 yuan tickets a bone.
Revolving restaurant. After the ordeal and a look at the line going back down I needed some down time so I fought my way through a different line to get tickets for a meal. The buffet was pretty decent, but nowhere near 230 yuan and 20 yuan per drink decent. When everything was accounted for I spent 440 yuan.
This way to wait some more please.
The thing about it is that ultimately Shanghai is meant to be looked up at from the street, not down from what isn't even close to the highest building there.
See what I mean?
But nonetheless the Oriental Pearl Tower is quite picturesque from the outside and of mistakes made on this trip going to the top is nowhere near the worst.
Because to go from walking down Bund Plaza at night (this is on a Tuesday by the way)...
and happening upon this, is the singular most impressive thing I have ever seen in my life. The buildings are imposing on their own, but at night it becomes a spectacular light show. It cannot be described accurately and pictures simply do not do it justice.
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