Shanghai: the Oriental Pearl Tower is waiting for you for a taste of future
There’s a place in Shanghai where it seems the future has already arrived. And you may think that you have already been there, because its image has altered your imagination a thousand times, catapulting you into a vertical space that seems to touch the sky. And from this place you can start to describe the frenetic evolution of a city in constant flux, a reflection and soul of the progress of a country that is growing at a dizzying pace. It is, in fact, in the skyscrapers that are reflected in the Huangpu river that it is possible to breathe the air of that change which is an index and prelude to a pressing future, capable of suddenly turning spaces and times of our daily dimension upside down. In this breathtaking skyline, a background of postcards and photographs immortalized by the enthusiastic visitors of the most chameleonic of Chinese cities, a majestic and fascinating construction stands out above all, impressing the collective imagination in an indelible way: the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Located in the financial center that has become an icon of fabulous Chinese economic growth, the great tower is 468 meters high, one of the tallest buildings in the world. With a longilineal structure that can almost touch the sky, the Oriental Pearl Tower - a television tower and multi-functional skyscraper - was built in the 1990s by a team of architects who masterfully oversaw the design, dating back to the time of the Tang dynasty, which compared the evocative sound produced by the lute to the soft falling of pearls on a plate of jade. This is a work of futurist art, created in the intentions of the creators by fusing avant-garde elements with features of traditional Chinese architecture.
Like a real chest, each pearl hides a treasure to be discovered, hosting various types of attractions, exhibition spaces, restaurants, shopping centers and even a hotel from which to admire the city in all its splendor. At the foot of the tower you can visit the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, a real journey into the Shanghai of the past, through which you can discover how the city has evolved over time, thanks above all to the trade in cotton, which remained until the nineteenth century, one of the main economic resources of the city. A leap through history that is able to fascinate visitors, pleasantly amazed by the unique contrast between the modern power of the future that emerges from the outside and the past so wisely reproduced into the museum, thanks to a faithful reconstruction of the ancient city that, among alleys, houses and traditional shops, it allows you to take a tour into the Shanghai of the past. Moreover, the collection dedicated to the ancient means of transport is particularly suggestive, where among old trams, rickshaws and vintage vehicles, it’s possible to visit, at least virtually, the streets of the city.
To return to the present, but with a foot projected into the future, three amazing observation platforms were built: the Space Module, at 350 meters high, the Sightseeing Floor, at 263 meters, and the Space City, at 90 meters, from which, on particularly clear days, you can see in the distance the hills of Sheshan, Chongming Island and the Yangtze River. But the real futuristic attraction is represented by the simulation of a space capsule and by an exceptional transparent crystal floor where to put into practice its capacity of resistance to the dizzying altitudes that make Shanghai "a vertical city". The restaurant located in the upper sphere of the tower is dedicated to the more adventurous, who, turning at the speed of one lap per hour, can offer a sensational experience that combines the pleasures of Chinese culinary tradition with a breathtaking view of the city skyline.
On the other hand, shopping enthusiasts will not miss a trip to the Oriental Pearl Emporium Super Store, the maxi shopping center which, with an area of 18,000 square meters, represents the dream for trend setters in search of clothing, jewelry and products craft made in China. High-tech game rooms, elevators that travel at surprising speeds and roller coasters complete the fantastic scenery of an attraction so fascinating that it appears in numerous American films, such as Godzilla and Mission Impossible III.
Forget New York ... the "Manhattan of the East" is waiting for you for a taste of future!
