Some of Shanghai’s sightseeing treats from on high

Shanghai is a city of high-rises and fabulous tourist attractions. But what do these scenic spots look like from way above? The Global Times reveals some of the city's secrets and glamour with aerial photography.

As early as 6,000 years ago in the Neolithic Age residents in Songjiang lived in Guangfulin, fishing, hunting and farming. Nearly 4,000 years ago, the earliest group of settlers from the Yellow River basin came here and and created "Guangfulin culture" with the locals and this marked the origins of the modern city of Shanghai. Recently, the light system at the Guangfulin Relics Park was completed and is now open to the public. Visitors enjoy the intriguing lighting and stunning lake views. Photo: Yang Hui/GT

Pentagonal Mart, a complex resembling the US military headquarters, has become the largest vacant building in Shanghai. Recent media reports have provoked heated online discussions. The Shanghai Pentagonal Mart is located in Huinan town, Pudong New Area. The building was completed in 2009 and covers about 500,000 square meters. But the investment has met problems because of its location and project orientation. Recently the management company said it had signed contracts with the new Disneyland project to convert some of the mart area into hotels for families visiting Disneyland. Photo: Yang Hui/GT

This retired Boeing 747 was dismantled into some 2,800 parts and transported from the US to China in over 85 containers. Engineers took six months to reassemble it, even with some volunteer former engineers from Boeing helping and advising on the reconstruction. Now it has become a popular tourist venue at the Aviator Theme Park in the former World Expo site. Photo: Yang Hui/GT

The Deep Hole Hotel at the foot of Sheshan Hill in Songjiang district was originally a quarry. After decades of quarrying, it became this huge 80-meter crater. Photo: Yang Hui/GT

The Huzhu Pagoda, which is also known as the Baoguang Pagoda, was first built in 1079 during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The pagoda is an octahedral tower with seven levels and stands 18.82 meters. Located on Tianmashan Hill, it has been listed as a cultural relic by the Shanghai government. Over the centuries as the foundations shifted, the tower has tilted to the southeast at an angle of 7.10 degrees. The top of the tower now is situated 2.28 meters from where it would have been if the structure was perfectly vertical. Because the tower now tilts more than the more famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy the Huzhu Pagoda is known locally as the Leaning Tower of Shanghai and is a popular venue for tourists. Photo: Yang Hui/GT

The Shanghai 65m Radio Telescope (Tianma) is a major project between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the City of Shanghai. Located in Sheshan, Songjiang district, Tianma is an omnidirectionally movable radio telescope with a 65-meter aperture. It is one of the leading astronomical facilities in China and the largest radio telescope in Asia. Photo: Yang Hui/GT