World's Largest Shopping Mall is Empty

When the New South China Mall opened in 2006, it was marked as another wonder of the world for China and the world's largest mall. Today, it has an occupancy rate of only 2%.

“Sometimes tour groups come here from [nearby cities] Guangzhou or Shenzhen,” said Hu Xiaocui, a bored ticket taker at the Teletubbies playroom that is the only functioning business on the mall’s third floor. “But they don’t show them the empty parts.”

Only 47 of an astonishing 2,350 retail spaces are filled, the most successful businesses being McDonalds and KFC restaurants near the mall’s front entrance. Fast-food wrappers and empty paper cups litter ghostly hallways in other parts of the complex. The elevators and lights are switched off, and voices echo off atrium ceilings four storeys high.

“We only sweep near the Teletubbies playroom. The other floors – what’s the point?” laughed a member of the cleaning staff. “No one ever did any shopping here, even when there were stores. It was too expensive.”

Two things I would do here: run up the down escalator and create a secret living space.

Link -via Discover