China 2013: Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower, The Bund

The Oriental Pearl Tower is one of the few skyscrapers that boasts a view of the Shanghai skyline. It was everything I expected and more- the glass floor on one of the levels came as a surprise to the three of us!

Miniature figurine of the tower at the ticketing office. Tickets cost 120 yuan.
We were actually the first few people into the grounds, having had to wait for them to open the gates. I was glad that we got there so early; the crowd thickened considerably as the day drew on. Photo by: Puey.
View of the Bund and the Huangpu river.
China’s air pollution is pretty visible 300m above ground.
Wow the visibility.
The three of us on the glass floor of the sightseeing corridor of the Oriental Pearl, Shanghai. Photo from Ade.The three of us atop the glass skywalk 259m high. The glass floors spanned the entire level, which was super cool. I found it a slight pity that measures weren’t made to ensure the longevity of the glass though, like implementing measures for visitors to wear protective shoe coverings. Also, the winds up there were so strong! There were a few moments when I felt that I would be blown out of the tower had there not been those glass barriers along the perimeter. Photo from: Ade.
Looking down at the tower.
We did a short tour of the Shanghai History Museum nestled in the tower after a spectacular view at the observation decks. To my horror, a large portion of it involved wax figures, a.k.a. nightmare fuel. Wax figures have frightened me ever since I was little, but unlike heights, I never got to conquer that irrational fear of the uncanny valley. Unfortunately, Ade and Puey both thought that one of the nuns there looked like me, so I had to get close to it for a picture. Fortunately, I had an iron grip on Ade throughout the tour. (Also, I put my hood up to act as blinkers for myself.)
We took a ferry across the Huangpu River to the Bund after.
I loved the historical buildings.
Photo from: Ade.
The lights at night were such a beautiful sight to see too. We cruised down the Huangpu River the night before, and it was drizzly and foggy and so mystical.
Inside of the ferry.
We had complimentary snacks with our tickets, but no drinks. Clever of them. I think we caved and shared a small bottle of overpriced water that Ade bought at the bar. Photo from: Ade.