Shanghai Tower offers airy city views

Visitors take photos from the observation deck on the 118th floor of Shanghai Tower on Wednesday, at a height of 546 meters above the ground.[Photo by Shao Jianping/For China Daily]

Shanghai Tower, China's highest building, officially opened its sightseeing deck on the 118th floor to the public on Wednesday. In 55 seconds after paying 180 yuan ($26), visitors can rise into the sky for a bird's-eye view of the cityscape.

The Top of Shanghai observatory, 546 meters above ground and surrounded by a glass wall, allows visitors a 360-degree panoramic view from the 632-meter tower, now the second tallest in the world.

Shanghai Tower, which announced trial operations in April 2016 after eight years of construction, stands in the heart of the Lujiazui Financial Zone in Pudong New Area. The majestic high-rise boasts 127 floors above ground and five floors below ground level.

The new tower joins the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Jinmao Tower and the World Financial Center in Lujiazui area, providing visitors with what's been billed as a unique "Sky City" experience.

"Shanghai Tower reminds me of the Empire State Building in New York City, which recalls the exciting years I spent in school there," said Wei Ruoxi, who graduated from Fordham University in New York. "I can't wait to visit."

The tower has an exhibition hall with photo and video presentations about the history of skyscrapers and the Shanghai Tower.

Visitors take the world's fastest "super-high-speed elevator" to get to the 1,000-square-meter observatory, where they can view the famous buildings along the Huangpu River and enjoy the view of the Suzhou and Huangpu rivers entering the Yangtze River and the East China Sea. It also allows visitors to explore most of the world's famous cities through a multimedia screen.

If that's not enough, the world's highest post office and a "Wishing Tree" enable people to send postcards and blessings to others.

He Qi contributed to this story.