oriental pearl shanghai postcard

The Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower (simplified Chinese: 东方明珠塔; traditional Chinese: 東方明珠塔; pinyin: Dōngfāng Míngzhūtǎ; Shanghainese: Tonfon Mintsyta, official name: 东方明珠广播电视塔) is a TV tower in Shanghai. Its location at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong New Area by the side of Huangpu River, opposite The Bund, makes it a distinct landmark in the area. The tower features 11 spheres, big and small. The two largest spheres, along the length of the tower, have diameters of 50 m (164 ft) for the lower and 45 m (148 ft) for the upper. They are linked by three columns, each 9 m (30 ft) in diameter. The highest sphere is 14 m (46 ft) in diameter. The entire tower is supported by three enormous columns that start underground.