UpToWhereWhat can you see from Oriental Pearl Tower?
Shanghai's futurist icon pierces the sky at 468 meters with 15 observation spheres.
From Oriental Pearl Tower, the terrain-limited line of sight reaches up to 222 km. The single farthest piece of visible terrain lies 222 km to the west-southwest (bearing 245°), at 1,571 m elevation. These results account for Earth's curvature and standard atmospheric refraction, computed from 30-meter resolution Copernicus GLO-30 elevation data across 1,960,499 terrain samples.
Open the interactive visibility map →Visibility by direction
The horizon is most open toward the west-southwest, where sightlines run 137 km on average; terrain closes the view down fastest to the north-northwest, at 81.6 km.
| N | 83.9 km | |
| NNE | 81.8 km | |
| NE | 83.6 km | |
| ENE | 83.1 km | |
| E | 83.6 km | |
| ESE | 90.1 km | |
| SE | 100 km | |
| SSE | 112 km | |
| S | 128 km | |
| SSW | 116 km | |
| SW | 84.7 km | |
| WSW | 137 km | |
| W | 104 km | |
| WNW | 93.3 km | |
| NW | 86.8 km | |
| NNW | 81.6 km |
About Oriental Pearl Tower
The Oriental Pearl Tower stands as Shanghai's most recognizable silhouette, a 468-meter TV tower completed between 1991–1994. With 15 observation decks and its unique spherical architecture, it became China's tallest structure until 2007 and Shanghai's first AAAAA-rated tourist attraction, drawing millions who seek panoramic views above the city's ever-changing skyline.
Did you know?
- 468 meters tall (351m tower plus 137m antenna)
- The tower's base houses the Shanghai History Museum, using wax figures and dioramas to recreate the city's development from the 1800s onward.
- Built 1991–1994 in Shanghai, China
- Tallest in China until 2007 World Financial Center completion
- The tower's eleven spheres, threaded onto three tilted columns of different sizes, were inspired by a line from a classical Tang dynasty poem describing 'large and small pearls falling on a jade plate.'
Frequently asked questions
How far can you see from Oriental Pearl Tower?
On a clear day the terrain allows a line of sight of up to 222 km from Oriental Pearl Tower. The average visible distance across all 360 directions is 96.8 km. Atmospheric conditions (haze, humidity) usually reduce practical visibility below the terrain-limited maximum.
What is the farthest point visible from Oriental Pearl Tower?
The farthest terrain visible from Oriental Pearl Tower lies 222 km to the west-southwest, at an elevation of 1,571 m. Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction are accounted for in this calculation.
How high is Oriental Pearl Tower?
The observation point at Oriental Pearl Tower sits at 477 m above sea level (Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model).
How is this visibility map calculated?
UpToWhere traces lines of sight in 360 directions from the observer using 30 m-resolution Copernicus terrain data, correcting for Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. You can run the same analysis for any point on Earth with the free calculator.
Run your own analysis
Want to know what you can see from your house, a summit you're planning to climb, or a plot of land? UpToWhere computes the same 360° viewshed for any point on Earth in seconds — free.
Try the viewshed calculator
