Until 1990 this was farmland and warehouses across the river from old Shanghai. Today it is the city's financial showpiece, anchored by Lujiazui — the cluster of supertall towers visible from the Bund. The Shanghai Tower (632 m), Shanghai World Financial Center (the "bottle opener") and Jin Mao Tower stand shoulder to shoulder; all three have observation decks, and the Shanghai Tower's is the highest in the world. Below them, the elevated walkways of Lujiazui make a pleasant if surreal stroll. Pudong also holds the Shanghai Disneyland resort and the Pudong international airport.
When Deng Xiaoping designated Pudong a Special Economic Zone in 1990, the entire area east of the Huangpu had no skyline to speak of and a population mostly engaged in agriculture and dockwork. The Oriental Pearl Tower, completed in 1994, was the first major building of the new district. Within three decades, Pudong went from rice paddies to one of the most recognizable skylines on earth.