| The Oriental Pearl Tower 东方明珠塔 was designed by Shanghai Modern Architectural Design, it is 1,535 feet high and has 14 floors. On the left you can see Suzhou Creek as it enters the Huangpu River. In 1998, the China and the Shanghai governments began a clean-up of the creek. It was one of the most polluted waterways in China. It's also one of the busiest, used by about 3000 barges a day to deliver and pickup goods. The entire project is scheduled to be finished by 2010, with sewage treatment plants being the first consideration in the early years of the project. By coincidence, Shanghai is hosting a World's Fair in 2010.
The creek has its origin in Taihu Lake and flows 77 miles (125 kilometers) to the Huangpu. About 15 miles (24 kilometers) of the creek are within Shanghai and serve not only as a waterway but also for flood control. Urban renewal along the creek is also one of the goals of the project. Eliminating fumes and toxins should increase real-estate values and ensure the completion of the project.
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