Shanghai 上 海 - Oriental Pearl TV Tower 东方明珠广播电视塔

Three nine-meter-in-diameter cylinders, which are supported by three tilted standings seven-meter-in-diameter with an oblique angle of 60, tower to the sky. With eleven steel spheres in various sizes inscribed, the body of the Tower creates an admirable image, which is described in an ancient Chinese verse as: Large and small pearls dropping on a plate of jade构成了大珠小珠落玉盘的塔体造型.

The 468-meter-high Tower, which is the highest in Asia, and the third highest trailing 553.33-meter-high Toronto Tower Canada, and 533 meters high TV Tower in Moscow, Russia in the world, was put into construction in 1991 and completed in 1993. On May 1, 1994, the 118-meter-high antenna pole was successfully connected with the Tower body in the first attempt sitting between Nanpu Bridge in the south and Yangpu Bridge in the north of the Huangpu River, the Tower is made up of 11 balls, the lowest of which is 118 meters high and the tallest being 295 meters. There is a revolving teahouse and a scenery-viewing platform, which can accommodate 1,600 people in the tallest ball. Here visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Bund and the Pudong New Area.

The coloue-changeable luminary system of the Tower consists of 438 emitting lamps, 2 revolving lamps, 2 light belts, 2 projectors, 576 lighting points and other accessory equipments. Automatically controlled by computers, the lamps give the Tower body thousands of changeable colours.

The antenna at the top of the Tower can be used for multiple purposes of data transfer and telecommunications. It accommodates the transmission of 10 radio frequencies and 9 TV channels. The power covering the whole area of Shanghai, the operation of the Tower largely improves the receiving of radio and TV programmes for Shanghai residents.

There are 6 elevators in the tower—five installed in the three columns, one between the height of 250 meters and 341 meters. One of the five elevators is double-decked. With a capacity of accommodating 50 persons at a speed of 4 meters per second, it is the only one of its kind in China. Two medium-sized elevators, accommodating 30 persons each and running at a speed of 7 meters per second, cover the distance from the bottom of the Tower to the higher sphere within 40 seconds.

The Tower is 120,000 tons in weight, compared with the 7,000 tons of the Eiffel Tower in Paris of France. The steel structure of the lower sphere 下球体weights 624 tons, the higher sphere上球体 being 873 tons, the space cabin 50 tons and the antenna 450 tons.

Tallest building gets new security

Starting late March 2002, people entering the office area of the Chinese mainland’s tallest Building中华第一高楼 (the US $ 540 million, 88-storey)---Jinmao Tower in Shanghai, have to wear a special security tag to get through a new security system. The Tower has become the first office building with a total floor space of 290,000 square meters in the mainland to use a system controlling access to its doors. The building has become a new icon for Shanghai’s Pudong area.

Welcome to China2Go, the talking Chinese phrase book for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Palm OS. Featuring crystal clear voice recorded by a real person, this product is a great travel companion and an ideal tool to learn Chinese! With our cutting edge voice compression technology, this product includes more than 1000 phrases, their Chinese translation, and the voice in only a few megabytes. Supports all Windows Mobile Pocket PCs. H&H China2Go Talking Phrase Book for Windows Mobile