Shànghǎi: Cloud 9 in Pǔdōng

14th April 2013.

For our last evening in Shànghǎi, we decided to hit the town and see the bright lights.  We took the Metro to the unpronouncible Lùjiāzuǐ in the Pǔdōng New Area for our first stop, the Cloud 9 Bar in the Jīnmào Tower.

 

Pǔdōng skyline.

Before 1993, this area was boggy marshland.   Pǔdōng has grown rapidly since then, and has now emerged as China's financial and commercial hub, with many of Shànghǎi's most iconic buildings.

 

Buy your Ferrari or Maserati here.

 

Pat in Pǔdōng.

 

Next to the Jīnmào Tower, the Shànghǎi Tower is under construction.  On its completion, due in 2014, it will be the tallest building in China, and the second-tallest building in the world, surpassed only by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which we visited in 2010 (see http://jemamum.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/dubai-worlds-tallest-building-25052010.html ). 

The Shànghǎi Tower will stand approximately 632 metres high (about one and a half times the height of the Jīnmào Tower) and will have 121 stories.

That will make the Pǔdōng skyline much more difficult to photograph than it is now.

 

The Jīnmào Tower, at 420.5m is currently Shànghǎi’s second-tallest building.  There is an observation deck on
the 88th floor, but, at Gina and David’s suggestion, our destination was the Cloud 9 Bar in the 87th floor.  We didn’t think the view would be much different.

The ‘No Climbing’ signs at the foot of the tower recall the French ‘Spiderman’ Alain Robert’s 90-minute scaling of the tower in 2007, dressed as his arachnid hero (Lonely Planet).

 

We timed our visit for sunset, so we could watch the sun going down and then the lights coming on.

There was a cover charge to go into the bar, which included a drink each and a dish of peanuts.  We decided to make our drink last as long as possible!

 

Gradually, the lights started to come on in the city: 

 

You can see the gracious buildings of the Bund on the other side of the river, as the lights of the city gradually came on.

 

Even with the utmost restraint, our drinks (and peanuts) were finally finished, but the lights had come on, so it was time to go.

 

As we left, we could look up to the people on the Observation Deck, one floor above us (88th).

 

We could also look down to the lobby of the Grand Hyatt, which is about halfway up the Jīnmào Tower.

 

Here is a picture of the same atrium, taken from the lobby looking up, from when we were here a few days previously, with Gina and David.

 

Yes, we were up there!

 

As we left, the Shanghai World Financial Centre (492 metres) soared above us.

When it was completed in 2007, it was the second-tallest building in the world, and the tallest structure in Mainland China.