Construction started Saturday on the Shanghai Tower, Shanghai's next "tallest building". At 632m tall and with 138 floors, it checks in with a price tag of $2.2 billion USD, and will take six years to build. By comparison, its next-door neighbor, the Jinmao Tower, is 421m tall, while the still-brand-spankin' new World Financial Center is tops out at "only" 492m. The Shanghai Tower will, obviously, be the tallest building in China when it is completed. more ›

A giant device specially designed for opening sealed bottles otherwise known as the Shanghai World Financial Center has been named the world's "Best Tall Building" this year by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The last time this device made the news was in January when a certain city blog broke the news that a horde of misbehaving monkeys had scaled the giant bottle opener illegally. The monkeys managed to flee the country before police caught up with them. more ›

Shanghai-based blogger Elaine Chow plunks down 150 kuai and writes, "It took one last elevator to bring me up those three final levels. This time, as I stepped out of the elevator and into the walkway, it was hard not to gasp." Read it all here. And read all of Elaine's Gizmodo posts here. more ›

"China has deployed more than 8,000 soldiers and military reservists to help search and rescue efforts in the south-west after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 killed 38 people." more ›

Photo from 2 dogs more ›

For those of you that still haven't gotten around to your own illegal hike up the World Financial Center, you'll be glad to know you can soon get a bird's eye view of the city from the top of that building without risking arrest. Yes, the building that's been through many trials and tribulations will finally be open this Saturday. Apparently, the gallery located on the 100th floor of the skyscraper at a height of 474 metres (1,555 feet) above the ground is the world's highest sightseeing hall. From AFP:

Sightseers who want a bird's eye view of the city will have to pay 150 yuan (22 dollars) each for the experience, it said. more ›

Some of you have been asking on our Facebook page (remember to sign up as a Fan!) if there will be an update of the Shanghaiist logo once the WFC — you know, the building that had to be redesigned because it reminded people too much of the Japanese flag, took forever to be built because of a property glut, was almost burnt down, and recently suffered a security breach — is up and running. more ›

We told you about Shanghai's skyscraper envy. Now, the World Financial Center has barely been completed but our wonderful city has already announced plans for yet another skyscraper that will dwarf it. Two days ago, the all-authoritative Xinhua produly proclaimed that the new building, which is to be named Shanghai Center (we are unsure if this has any relation to the existing Shanghai Center) will be the world's tallest at 580 meters and 118 stories. According to them, that's 72 meters higher than the Taipei 101 Tower, currently the tallest building in Asia at 508 meters and "25 meters higher than the 555-meter-tall Burj Dubai skyscraper, which is still under construction". more ›

Apparently our friends were so addicted to the experience they've done it a few times since. It also looks like a mini-trend has caught on, as several other groups have been inspired to organise their own expeditions up the WFC. more ›