Shanghai World Financial Center

Overview

Located in the Lujiazui financial district of Pudong, the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) is a 1,614-foot tall skyscraper, completed in 2008 after 11 years of construction. Designed by American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, its distinctive trapezoid aperture at the top has earned it the popular nickname "the Bottle Opener" among locals. The building houses premium office space, luxury retail, the 5-star Park Hyatt Shanghai hotel on the 79th to 93rd floors, and three public observation decks on the 94th, 97th, and 100th floors, the highest of which is located at 1,555 feet, making it the third highest observation deck in the world. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in China, and it remains one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Pudong skyline. The building has won numerous international architecture awards, including the 2008 Emporis Skyscraper Award, and is considered a symbol of Shanghai’s rise as a global financial center.

Opening Hours

The public observation decks of the Shanghai World Financial Center are open daily from 09:00 to 22:30, with last entry at 22:00. During public holidays including Chinese New Year, National Day, and Labor Day, opening hours are extended to 23:00, with last entry at 22:30. The Park Hyatt Shanghai hotel’s restaurants and bars, which offer views from the upper floors, are open from 06:30 to 23:00 daily, with the rooftop bar open until midnight. The building may close temporarily during extreme weather conditions including typhoons, heavy thunderstorms, or strong winds above level 7, for visitor safety. Special themed events including night photography sessions and holiday celebrations are held on the observation deck on selected weekends, with extended opening hours until 23:30. Guided architecture tours of the building are available by reservation from 10:00 to 16:00 daily.

Ticket Price

Ticket prices for the observation decks vary depending on the levels you wish to access. Tickets for the 94th, 97th, and 100th floor observation decks cost $24 for adults, $12 for children between 3.2 and 4.6 feet tall, students with valid ID, and seniors over 65 years old, and are free for children under 3.2 feet. Tickets for just the 94th floor cost $16 for adults, with the same discount policies. Skip-the-line fast track tickets are available for $35 per person, allowing priority access to the elevators and observation areas. Combination tickets including a meal or drinks at one of the Park Hyatt Shanghai’s restaurants are available for $80 to $120 per person, which include access to the observation decks. Tickets can be purchased on-site at the ticket office on the ground floor, or via the official SWFC WeChat mini-program and major online travel platforms, with advance booking recommended during peak seasons to avoid long queues. Hotel guests and diners at Park Hyatt restaurants get free access to the hotel’s public areas with their reservation confirmation, which offer similar views to the paid observation decks.

Transportation Guide

The Shanghai World Financial Center is conveniently located in central Lujiazui, with excellent public transport links. The most convenient way is via metro: take Line 2 to Lujiazui Station, Exit 6, which is a 5-minute walk to the building entrance via an underground passage connecting to the basement level. Bus routes 795, 798, 799, 870, 961, 971, 985, and the Lujiazui Financial City loop lines all stop at the Lujiazui Ring Road Dongtai Road stop, 0.2 miles from the building entrance. If driving, the building has an underground public parking garage with 1,100 spaces, charging $4 per hour, with the first 30 minutes free for visitors. For visitors coming from The Bund, you can take the Huangpu River ferry from Jinling East Road Ferry Terminal to Lujiazui Ferry Terminal, which is a 0.4-mile walk to the SWFC, offering excellent views of the building from the river during the crossing. Note that the area around the building has restricted pedestrian access during large-scale events, so follow official signage if visiting during peak periods.

Core Highlights

The main attraction of the Shanghai World Financial Center is its high-altitude observation experience. The 100th floor observation deck is the highest, a 180-foot long, glass-floored skywalk that offers a thrilling view straight down 1,555 feet to the ground below, with unobstructed 360-degree views of the entire city. On clear days, visibility can reach up to 40 miles, allowing you to see as far as the Yangtze River Estuary and the surrounding cities of the Yangtze River Delta. The 97th floor observation deck features a glass ceiling and walls, designed to feel like you are floating in the sky, while the 94th floor has a large exhibition space that hosts regular art and cultural exhibitions, as well as a coffee shop where you can enjoy drinks while taking in the views. The building’s distinctive design, with the large trapezoid opening at the top, is an architectural marvel: the opening was originally designed as a circular aperture, but was changed to a trapezoid for both aesthetic and engineering reasons, reducing wind load on the building during typhoons. The best time to visit is one hour before sunset, so you can see the city in daylight, watch the sunset over the Huangpu River, then stay to see the entire city light up at night. For photography, the best spots are the glass floor section of the 100th floor for unique shots looking down at Lujiazui, and the north side of the observation deck for unobstructed views of The Bund and the historic Puxi skyline across the river. Don’t miss the view of the adjacent Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao Tower from the observation deck, which gives you a unique perspective on the three tallest buildings in Shanghai clustered together.

Travel Tips

The recommended visit duration for the Shanghai World Financial Center observation decks is 1 to 1.5 hours, including time to explore all three levels and enjoy the views. It is recommended to visit on a clear day, as low cloud cover or heavy smog can completely obstruct views from the top. You can check the real-time visibility information on the official SWFC website before your visit. Note that large bags and luggage are not allowed on the observation deck, and free luggage storage is available at the ground floor service center. Tripods are not permitted on the observation deck without prior official approval, so small handheld camera stabilizers are recommended for long-exposure night photography. After visiting the SWFC, you can walk to adjacent attractions including the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai Tower, all within 0.3 miles, as well as Lujiazui Central Green Space, 0.2 miles away. For dining, there are casual restaurants and cafes in the lower levels of the building, or you can walk 0.4 miles to Super Brand Mall for a wider range of dining options. If you have a larger budget, booking a table at one of the restaurants or bars in the Park Hyatt Shanghai on the upper floors allows you to enjoy the views without paying for separate observation tickets, and the food and service are of very high quality.