The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is a new landmark of Shanghai, which faces the Bund across the Huangpu River at Lujiazui, the busiest part of Pudong new Area. At a height of 468 meters, it is the tallest TV tower in Asia.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower started construction in 1992, and with 50 million Yuan in government funds and a combined 150 million Renminbi Yuan and 10 million US Dollars in bank loans from 44 banks, it completed construction and opened to the public in 1994.
The tower is equipped with tourist service facilities, including eateries, shops, recreational centers and a hotel. An elevator whisks visitors to the tower's observational deck at a height of 263 metres, where they can feast their eyes on a panoramic view of Shanghai.
Over the past ten years, the tower has received 295 overseas presidents and leaders and 25 million tourists. It has become the world's most profitable TV tower, with annual incomes exceeding those of The Eiffel Tower. With a brand value of 5.148 billion Yuan (US$6.2 billion), the tower was evaluated 96th on the list of the 500 most valuable Chinese brands, and one of the top 20 influential Chinese brands in the world for the year 2003 and 2004, according to the World Brand Lab.