Stand on the Bund in Puxi and look east across the Huangpu: the skyline in front of you is Pudong, the east bank that grew from farmland and wharves into the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone. Century Avenue runs through it, lined with the towers that now form the most common image of Shanghai.
Pudong suits travellers who want modern architecture, observation decks, museums and a theme park, and who are happy to move between them by metro. Most of the well-known sights cluster in Lujiazui, within sight of each other, while others sit further out along the metro lines.
1. Oriental Pearl TV Tower
The tower's eleven pink spheres have become an internationally recognised symbol of the new Shanghai, and there is a hotel in one sphere at 230 m. Entry to the tower and all its attractions is ¥100, with extra fees depending on how high you go, up to ¥220 for the highest observation deck at 350 m.
The outdoor viewing platform of the second ball at 259 m has a glass floor where you can walk on a transparent path high above Pudong and the Huangpu River. Note that your elevator arrives one floor above the glass floor, so descend one floor to reach it; on the way down you pass all the other observation decks and attractions, and Space City at 90 m can be missed.
2. Jinmao Tower
This building has 88 floors plus five in the spire and reaches 420.5 m. It houses the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel and features a 31-storey atrium that starts in the jazz lounge on the 57th floor. An Italian restaurant, Cucina, on the 55th floor offers views of the Bund and the rest of old Shanghai, and for about the same cost as going up the Pearl Tower you can enjoy a gourmet pizza lunch with virtually the same view.
Enter via the Grand Hyatt main entrance, take the elevator to the lobby on 54, then the next elevator to Cucina. There is also a restaurant on the 88th floor, the top floor and China's second highest visitor platform. Alternatively, head for one of the Grand Hyatt's many bars. Admission is ¥50, ¥25 for students.
3. Shanghai Tower
At 632 m and 128 stories, this is China's tallest building. The Observation Deck occupies the 118th and 119th floors at 552 m, and the elevator accelerates to 18 m/s. Views in all directions are possible, and there is a small cafe and free WiFi.
The observation deck is open 10:09–21:00 with last admission at 20:30. Adult admission is ¥180, senior and student ¥160, and children over 1 m ¥90.
4. Shanghai World Financial Center
Opened in 2008, this is Shanghai's second tallest building at 492 m, with three viewing levels on floors 94, 97 and 100. From the observation level you look down on the neighbouring Jinmao and Oriental Pearl towers.
If your priority is the river and the Bund, note that a better view of them can be had from the lower sphere of the Oriental Pearl than from here. An alternative to the observation decks is one of the hotel bars or restaurants on or near the 98th floor. Admission is ¥150.
5. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
This is an entertaining exhibition over two floors, including a system of glass tunnels that lets you get close to sharks. It is at 1388 Lujiazui Ring Rd; from Lujiazui Station on metro line 2, exit 1, walk towards the Pearl TV Tower and look right.
It is open 09:00–18:00, and until 21:00 in summer. Admission is ¥120, with some discounts for children.
6. China Art Museum Shanghai
The former China Pavilion for Expo 2010 is now a museum of Chinese modern art, at 205 Shangnan Rd near Exit 3 of China Art Museum Station on line 8. Permanent exhibitions focus on well-known Chinese painters, the history of Chinese modern and contemporary art, and the culture of Shanghai.
Visits start at the top and you work your way down, with the quality of the galleries decreasing a little the lower you go. On the top floor is a special exhibition of the digital version of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, featuring a 110-metre-long 3D animated interactive remake. Multilingual audio guides and English-speaking volunteer guides are available, and entry is free except for special exhibitions. It is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00, and on all national holidays.
7. Shanghai Museum East
This eastern branch of the Shanghai Museum opened to the public in February 2024 and specialises in ancient art, including bronzeware, jade, ceramics and calligraphy. It is at 1952 Shiji Avenue, opposite the west side of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.
Book before you go: visitor numbers are capped at 8,000 per day and bookings are made on the museum's WeChat mini program. Entry is free; Chinese-language audio guides are ¥20 and foreign-language guides ¥40. It is open 10:00–18:00 with no entry after 17:00, closed on Tuesdays except when Tuesday is a public holiday.
8. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
This museum focuses on Western science and is entertaining and educational for children, and the building itself is impressive. It sits opposite the Shanghai Museum East, so the two can be combined in one outing.
It has its own metro stop, Science and Tech Museum Station on line 2.
9. Century Park
This is Shanghai's biggest park and a relaxing getaway, with its own stop on metro line 2. Be aware that there is a lot of concrete and paved road, and that many areas have vegetation still under development or poorly cared for.
Bike rental is available but expensive, from ¥40 per hour. Admission is ¥10.
10. Shanghai Expo Park
Shanghai hosted the 2010 World Expo, and the grounds now form a public park in two parts, the larger in Pudong and the smaller in Puxi. The Chinese Pavilion has remained in operation and there are various other sights.
Reach it via Yaohua Road Station on metro line 8.
11. Shanghai International Finance Center
The IFC has two towers around 250 m with an 85 m building between them, and includes the large IFC Mall shopping complex and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. A pedestrian tunnel connects it to Lujiazui Station, which makes it an easy stop between the surrounding towers.
12. Maglev Museum
On the first floor of Maglev Longyang Road station, this museum covers most of the history and technology of the maglev train, with sections on the birth of maglev, the Shanghai maglev line, maglev technology, its advantages and prospects for maglev. It is open 09:00–17:30.
Longyang Road station is served by lines 2, 7 and 16, so the museum fits naturally into a journey that uses the maglev.
13. Long Museum Pudong
This is the Pudong branch of the private art museum established by the collectors Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei, at No. 210 Lane 2255, Luoshan Road. It is about 1.4 km east of Huamu Road Station on metro line 7; follow Huamu Road eastward until you get past the intersection with Luoshan Elevated Road.
It is open 10:00–17:30 and closed on Mondays. Groups of 26 or more must reserve at least two days in advance. Admission is ¥100, including a tour guide.
14. Oriental Art Center
This is mainly a centre for the performing arts with three theatres of various sizes, and there is also an exhibition area. Check what is on before you go if you want to build an evening around a performance.
15. Pudong Mosque
The initial mosque building was constructed in 1935, expanded in 1984 and rebuilt in 1995 to its current size. It is at No. 375, Yuanshen Road; walk north from Yuanshen Stadium Station on line 6.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and descend one floor from the upper observation platform to the glass floor of the second ball at 259 m. Follow it with the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, a short walk towards the Pearl TV Tower from Lujiazui Station.
Afternoon: Move on to the Lujiazui towers. Choose between the Shanghai Tower observation deck on the 118th and 119th floors and the three viewing levels of the Shanghai World Financial Center, then take in the Jinmao Tower, entering via the Grand Hyatt main entrance for the 31-storey atrium or a meal at Cucina on the 55th floor. If you prefer museums to heights, spend the afternoon at the Shanghai Museum East and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum instead, booking the museum in advance.
Evening: Return to the Jinmao Tower for one of the Grand Hyatt's bars, or take a hotel bar or restaurant on or near the 98th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center for the view after dark. If a performance is on, the Oriental Art Center is an alternative close to the Lujiazui sights.
How do I get around the main sights in Pudong?
Most of the Lujiazui sights, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Jinmao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Shanghai Tower and the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, are close together around Century Avenue and Lujiazui Station on metro line 2. Century Park, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and the Shanghai Museum East each have their own stop on line 2, and the Maglev Museum sits at Longyang Road station on lines 2, 7 and 16.
Which observation deck should I choose?
The Shanghai Tower's deck is at 552 m on the 118th and 119th floors, the Shanghai World Financial Center has viewing levels on floors 94, 97 and 100, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower's outdoor platform at 259 m has a glass floor. For the river and the Bund specifically, the lower sphere of the Oriental Pearl gives a better view than the Shanghai World Financial Center.
Do I need to book any of these sights in advance?
Yes for the Shanghai Museum East, where visitor numbers are capped at 8,000 per day and bookings are made on the museum's WeChat mini program. Groups of 26 or more visiting the Long Museum Pudong must reserve at least two days ahead.
What is there for children?
The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is entertaining and educational for children, and the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium's glass tunnels let you get close to sharks. The Shanghai Disney Resort is also in Pudong.
Decide which towers and museums matter most to you, check the metro lines that link them, and start planning your days in Pudong.