Dongfang Mingzhu and Shanghai’s stacked steel spheres
Published on 09/18/2026 at 07:31 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Dongfang Mingzhu rises in stacked steel spheres beside the Huangpu River in Shanghai’s Pudong district. Completed in 1994, it has become one of the city’s most recognisable modern silhouettes.
Steel spheres over the Huangpu River
The tower’s form is the first thing that registers from the riverfront. Steel spheres are set along a vertical shaft, with slanting supports at the base and 468 m (1,535 ft) of height above the Lujiazui district.stacked steel spheres
That profile is tied to Dongfang Mingzhu’s role as a television tower and a public landmark. The same structure carries broadcasting equipment and visitor spaces, so the exterior reads as infrastructure as much as architecture.radio and television tower
1990s Pudong and the tower’s designers
Dongfang Mingzhu belongs to the rapid rise of Pudong in the 1990s. The tower was completed in 1994 and is linked with Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd., a name that belongs firmly to its identity.completed in 1994
The period matters because the tower sits within a district that took shape as Shanghai’s high-rise riverfront expanded. Its steel frame, spheres and diagonal supports place it among the defining late twentieth-century additions to the city skyline.
Inside the tower’s public levels
Inside, Dongfang Mingzhu combines observation levels, exhibition space and broadcasting functions. That mix gives the tower a layered interior rather than a single-purpose shaft.observation levels
The tower’s upper volumes contain enclosed public areas with views across the Huangpu River, the Bund and the Pudong skyline. The lower parts include exhibition rooms and technical functions associated with transmission.public observation
Visiting Dongfang Mingzhu: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Dongfang Mingzhu stands in Lujiazui, Pudong New Area, on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River opposite the Bund.
- The tower is reached through interior circulation and lifts, with enclosed public levels inside its stacked spheres.
- Shanghai is in China, where the official language is Chinese and the currency is the renminbi.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Dongfang Mingzhu on social platforms
These links open searches for Dongfang Mingzhu on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Dongfang Mingzhu
Where is Dongfang Mingzhu?
It stands in Lujiazui, in Shanghai’s Pudong district, beside the Huangpu River and opposite the Bund.
What does a visit involve?
The tower combines enclosed observation levels, exhibition areas and broadcasting functions within one structure. Its interior is organised around the spheres and the central shaft.
What makes Dongfang Mingzhu distinctive?
Its stacked steel spheres give it a profile that differs sharply from Shanghai’s glass-and-steel towers. The combination of 1994 completion, 468 m height and mixed use defines its place in the skyline.
