Hotels near Shanghai Tower and Lujiazui

Shanghai Tower rises 632 metres, making it the tallest building in China and the second tallest in the world. Its observation deck on floor 118 sits at 546 metres and is reached by a lift that covers the distance in under a minute at 20.5 metres per second. The twisted facade is functional rather than decorative - the 120-degree rotation cuts wind load by around a quarter.

It stands in Lujiazui alongside the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center, the flat-topped building with the trapezoid opening near its summit. Thirty years ago this entire district was farmland and warehouses. Tickets for the Shanghai Tower deck run around CNY 180, and the Oriental Pearl Tower nearby is the cheaper and more dated alternative.

Pro Tip: Check visibility before buying. Shanghai haze regularly reduces the view to grey, and the ticket is non-refundable. Clear days most often follow rain or a cold front, and the hour before sunset gives you the city lit and unlit in one visit.