Pearl Tower

Next stop was the Pearl Tower. It is the most well recognized part of the city skyline here in Shanghai. Kind of like the TransAmerica Tower in San Francisco or the Empire State Building in New York. Not only tall, but it has a distinctive shape. I paid my entrance fee and made my way inside to wait for the elevator. I believe there is an observation level well above where I managed to get to, but I wasn’t really going to argue with the elevator operators…They took us up to a deck that is 263m from the ground and does give you a commanding view of the city. I wandered about and made my way to a few different levels including one with glass floors that extend out over nothing allowing you to look down to the ground. For the most part, it didn’t bother me too much to walk on the glass, although there were many who could barely convince themselves to even place one foot on the glass. Looking down does give you a bit of vertigo!

When I made it all the way to the ground, it was starting to get late, and I realized that taxis were not so easy to come by any longer. I ended up waiting for close to 40 minutes at a taxi stand before my turn was up. Once evening hits, traffic gets thick, and unless you happen to be where someone else wants to stop, getting a taxi isn’t simple…note to self…map out where the metro is!

Tags: Pearl Tower, Shanghai