100 Shiji Dadao, near Dongtai Lu
21/5878-0101
HOURS: Daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
COST: ¥100-150
METRO: Lujiazui (Line 2)
The tallest of Shanghai’s trio of mega-skyscrapers, the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) is the one that’s known as the Bottle Opener thanks to its distinctive lacuna. The hole was originally designed to be a circle, but the mayor of Shanghai nixed the blueprints, fearing that the tower would look like a giant Japanese flag.
The SWFC measures 492 meters (5,300 ft.) tall and has 101 floors, with the world’s highest observation deck on the 100th floor. The Skywalk takes you out across the top of the “hole,” offering vertiginous views of the city below.
The tower was opened on August 8, 2008, 10 years later than planned due to the Asian Financial Crisis.