Visiting the World's Largest Mall

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

27 Apr 2006 07:06 AM

If you are planning a trip to China you will undoubtedly visit the Great Wall, the Forbidden City in Beijing, and perhaps hop aboard the Yangtze River Cruises. But many visitors are adding another stop to their list of must-see places in China, the country's newest icon of economic growth: the malls.

That's right, they are being called: "the great malls of China." It takes about two days to explore Beijing's new Golden Resources Shopping Mall - the world's largest. It is three football fields long. To put its size into perspective, consider this: Minnesota's "Mall of America" is 4 million square feet. Golden Resources is 6 million square feet. Another of China's massive malls, the Grandview Shopping Mall, gets half a million shoppers on a good day. These malls are so large that shoppers can easily get lost - even with a map. The mammoth malls are home to many retail shops you will find in the states, including "Banana Republic," "Tommy Hilfiger," and "Nike." For sale: everything! From Italian bathroom sinks and hand-made violins to colonial-style desks, Jaguars, and diapers. The malls are described as being "a cross between Las Vegas and Disneyland." Offering high-caliber theaters, ice rinks and an indoor beach geared toward toddlers. The Golden Resources Shopping Mall has 230 escalators, more than 1,000 shops, restaurant space the size of two football fields, and a skating rink.

Ironically, the vast majority of Chinese residents can't afford what's on sale at the malls. But that's not stopping local developers from creating a new mall to surpass all others. The developers of the South China Mall want it to be the world's largest mall when it is completed, and they've spent $300 million toward their goal. For travelers visiting the country known for it's many cultural, historical and natural wonders, a trip to the mall may sound like an odd pit stop. But tourist say getting to say they shopped at the "world's largest mall" makes it worth the trip.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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