These days, the robotic machine has been replaced for human jobs because of the technology revolution. Many industries removed employees and introduced computers based services. I strongly believe that Some jobs can not be done through an automated system. This essay will discuss the positive and negative aspects of the argument. 5) CentralPlaza WestGate. The largest mall in Thailand is the WestGate CentralPlaza, which is located in Nonthaburi Province, Bangkok's suburb. It has over 5.9 million square feet of gross floor area divided into several floors. The largest mall in Thailand, Centralplaza Westgate has cinemas and businesses. Apart from shops and places to eat, you will find a cinema in Spanish. Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00 - 22:00. Address: Moll d'Espanya, 5 | View Map. 5. L'illa Diagonal. L'Illa Diagonal is the Barcelona's oldest mall, it was built back in 1993 and since then has been one of the favorites of the local public. New York City, New York. New York City is considered to be among the best of the best when it comes to shopping cities, regularly found on lists with London, Paris and Milan as one of the fashion capitals of the world. Many visitors come to the Big Apple just for the shopping, with Fifth Avenue in particular a shopper's paradise with retail 3. SM Seaside City Cebu. Launched in November 2015, SM Seaside City Cebu is currently the largest mall in the Philippines outside the National Capital Region (NCR) and the eighth largest worldwide, with a retail floor plan of 470,000 sqm and a collection of over 400 shopping and dining options. One of its most notable features is the Seaside Vay Tiền Trả Góp Theo Tháng Chỉ Cần Cmnd Hỗ Trợ Nợ Xấu. Shopping malls have been a staple for shoppers around the world. With so many things that you can do and find under one roof, it is no wonder that millions of people visit malls every year and tourists would always have to stop by malls to get their shopping done whenever on I first stepped into CentralWorld Mall in Bangkok, the sheer size of the mall left me speechless. I thought to myself, “this HAS to be the biggest mall in the world.”But little did I know, that CentralWorld Mall was listed 14th out of the world’s largest malls. If CentralWorld blew me away, I can only imagine how massive the rest of the malls on the top 10 list would let us explore the 10 largest malls in the world, ranked by gross leasable area, and the next time when we decide to plan a holiday, we will have one more thing to add on to our bucket list of places to are the biggest malls in the worldShop til’ you drop in the biggest malls in the worldRetail therapy is a respite for many, but shopping in the world’s biggest mall is every shopaholic’s dream. From indoor amusement parks to floating markets, the biggest malls in the world are lifestyle hubs that offer a complete escape from the daily stresses of City Center, Iran – 465km2SM Seaside City Cebu, Philippines – 470km2SM Megamall, Philippines – 474km2SM City North EDSA, Philippines – 498km2ICONSIAM, Thailand – 525km2CentralPlaza Westgate, Thailand – 550km2Golden Resources Mall, China – 557km2SM City Tianjin, China – 565km2South China Mall, China – 660km2Iran Mall, Iran – 1,950km210. Isfahan City Center Isfahan, Iran – 465km2Isfahan City Center in Iran is the 10th biggest mall in the worldAs one of the biggest malls in the world, the Isfahan City Center offers immersive activities that make for an extraordinary mall been built in four phases, one of the biggest malls in Iran holds a general shopping mall with over 750 stores and restaurants, the Middle East’s largest indoor amusement park, an international financial tower, a 5-star hotel, an entertainment center with seven cinemas, a museum, a hypermarket, and even a world trade SM Seaside City Cebu Cebu City, Philippines – 470km2Shopping mall with a panoramic view of Cebu CityOne of the biggest malls in the world takes the form of the architecturally-stunning SM Seaside City Cebu. Also locally known as SM Seaside, this circular mall has over 750 shops and services, and this even includes a Large Screen format cinema, two Director’s Club cinemas, 4 regular cinemas, a Centerstage theatre, and even an 18-lane SM Bowling and Amusement we even mentioned that located in the center of the mall is the Seaside Tower observation deck? The observation deck provides one of, perhaps even the best, breathtaking, panoramic views of the breathtaking Cebu MORE 5 best glamping experiences for Southeast Asians post-COVID-198. SM Mega Mall Mandaluyong, Philippines – 474km2One of the largest malls in the Philippines, SM Mega Mall gets 800,000 visitors per daySM Megamall once held the title of the biggest mall in the Philippines back in the early 2000s. Today, although it is now the third-largest shopping mall in the country, it still remains one of the biggest malls in the world, not to mention a powerhouse in the Philippines mall landscape with roughly 800,000 daily addition to the 500 shops and 280 dining outlets in this shopping mall, Megamall also houses a chapel, shuttle services, a 14-lane bowling center, an Olympic-sized skating rink, an IMAX cinema, and a Bingo gaming MORE When is the best time to visit Philippines in 2021?7. SM City North EDSA Quezon City, Philippines – 498km2Biggest mall in the Philippines, SM City North EDSA has more than 1,000 storesSM City North EDSA commands a daily foot traffic of 950,000 people. The biggest mall in the Philippines is made up of six massive buildings packed with over 1,000 stores, cinemas, dining halls, hypermarkets, bowling alleys, and other entertainment the mall’s edge is a beautiful Sky Garden where rivers and waterfalls backdrop against the 1,500-seater Sky MORE Explore our complete Philippines Travel Guide6. ICONSIAM Bangkok, Thailand – 525km2Opened in 2018, ICONSIAM is one of the biggest malls in ThailandLocated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, ICONSIAM is the newest development on our list of biggest malls in the world. Inside the 10-storey mall, you will find Thailand’s first official Apple store, a heritage museum, a commercial gym and an indoor floating mall plans to expand in the future, with plans to include two luxury residential buildings, an onsite ferry pier, and a train station. Guess we will be seeing a shift in the world’s biggest malls ranking soon when their expansion has been completed!READ MORE Thailand shopping – What to buy in Thailand and where5. CentralPlaza Westgate Nonthaburi, Thailand – 550km2CentralPlaza Westgate is the biggest mall in ThailandWith over 1,000 stores and an onsite IKEA outlet that spans 50,000m2, CentralPlaza Westgate is easily the biggest mall in Thailand. The mall is located in a Bangkok suburb where highways, roads, and train lines converge, allowing easy access to a vast customer 6-storey megamall houses residential condominiums, numerous restaurants, and Harbor Land, a brand new indoor kids playground built just this MORE Discover our extensive Thailand Travel Guide4. Golden Resources Mall Beijing, China – 557km2Golden Resources Mall was the biggest mall in the world when it opened in 2004Located in one of the biggest cities in the world, Golden Resources Mall was the biggest mall in the world when it opened in 2004. However, the mall suffered years of major vacancy due to its sparsely-populated location and overpriced was not until recent years when the purchasing power of neighbouring residents climbed that the mall started seeing more SM Tianjin Tianjin, China – 565km2SM Tianjin in China is one of the world’s largest mall with over 2,500 shopsLocated in the thriving central business district, SM Tianjin is often praised for its unique architecture. From a bird’s-eye view, you can see the mall’s three oval-shaped buildings forming a blossoming inside of the more isn’t any less impressive – be greeted by over 2,500 shops that will probably take an entire weekend or two to South China Mall Dongguan, China – 659km2South China Mall is Asia’s biggest shopping mallIncredibly massive yet devastatingly empty for nearly a decade, South China Mall has been nicknamed “ghost mall”. Twice the size of the biggest mall in America, the mall was built to represent the growth of the Chinese its glamorous opening in 2005, the mall did not live up to its expectations of attracting 100,000 visitors per day as most Dongguan residents are low-income factory workers. With recent renovations and a retargeting toward middle-class shoppers, the mall is beginning to gain new trendy shops, restaurants, an amusement park, indoor rivers and an IMAX cinema can be found inside the biggest mall in the title of the biggest mall in the world goes to…1. Iran Mall Tehran, Iran – 1,950km2Top spot for largest mall in the world goes to Iran Mall in TehranTopping our list as the biggest mall in the world is the Iran Mall in Tehran. The world’s biggest mall combines nature, culture technology and sports under one roof, apart from its 700 shops. This incredible supermall features a massive library, an amusement park, 12 IMAX cinemas, a car showroom, three hotels, art galleries, a museum and a the heart of the mall is the Mahan Garden, a symbol of the historical Persian Gardens. The rooftop holds swimming pools, a 12,000m2 ice rink, tennis courts, and 15 sports biggest malls in the world are about more than shoppingShopping malls are staples to every shopper, and this list of the largest malls in the world proves that there is much more to these massive shopping complexes than just looking at and buying things. From cinemas to roller coasters to indoor rivers, malls have a lot to an American living in Vietnam, enjoys life's simplest pleasures, such as making people laugh and making people cry. He's solo-hiked up Mount Fuji's summit in Japan, lived with an indigenous mountain tribe in Vietnam, drank soju with K-pop superstars in South Korea, and lost his favourite loafers somewhere in New York City celebrating New Year's. Next destination? Probably watching the sunrise atop some random mountain. Very excited for where life takes him next, wherever it may be. For some people, a mall is just a place where they can get what they need. But for others, a mall is a place for shopping and engaging in activities with friends, family, and colleagues. Over the years, humble markets have transitioned into colossal structures, including cinemas, supermarkets, and posh department stores with rows of dining and entertainment options. Gigantic spaces that span millions of square feet have become a symbol of mall culture in several countries; in other words, "the bigger, the better." These expansive malls allow customers to get lost in a world away from the realities at their dwelling places. These world-wonder malls are sorted based on their total Gross Leasable Area, a fair representation of the thousands of shops and theme parks they can contain. Iran Mall, Iran - 21,000,000 Sq. Ft IOI City Mall, Malaysia - 8,840,000 Sq. Ft South China Mall, China - 7,100,000 Sq. Ft Isfahan City Center, Iran - 7,000,000 Sq. Ft SM Mall Of Asia, Philippines - 6,349,530 Sq. Ft SM Tianjin, China - 6,080,000 Sq. Ft Golden Resources Mall, China - 6,000,010 Sq. Ft CentralPlaza WestGate, Thailand - 5,923,140 Sq. Ft CentralWorld, Thailand - 5,900,000 Sq. Ft ICONSIAM, Thailand - 5,650,000 Sq. Ft 1. Iran Mall, Iran - 21,000,000 Sq. Ft Overview of the Iran Mall in Tehran, Iran. Image Credit Anakarnia, via Wikimedia Commons As of 2023, the biggest mall in the world is the massive Iran Mall. Located in Northwest Tehran, Iran, this gigantic mall occupies a gross leasable area of around 21 million square feet. The Iran Mall is one of the biggest commercial, cultural, and social hubs that also includes economic spaces, retail outlets, cultural facilities, recreational areas, a hotel, and some parking spaces. There are about 708 retail stores in the mall, which spans about seven floors. The mall's traditional bazaar has been inspired by the traditional markets of some well-known Iranian cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz, etc. 2. IOI City Mall, Malaysia - 8,840,000 Sq. Ft The beautiful Christmas decorations at IOI City Mall in Sepang Selangor, Malaysia. Editorial credit JCREATION / The IOI City Mall situated in Malaysia's Sepang District, is the world's second-largest shopping mall, with more than 650 stores spread over an immense million square feet. The mall includes many departmental stores, F& B stores, restaurants, cafes, District 21 - a post-apocalypse theme park and an Olympic-sized ice skating rink. Containing stores of several luxury brands, this mall has become a must-visit destination in Southeast Asia, offering shoppers extravagant services and merchandise. Everywhere one turns, more exciting experiences and activities are guaranteed to please everyone who visits the IOI City Mall. 3. South China Mall, China - 7,100,000 Sq. Ft SPAR Hypermarket at South China Mall, China. Image Credit David290, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The third-largest mall in the world is located in Dongguan, China, and is named the South China Mall. Spanning an impressive million square feet, the massive shopping center boasts roller coasters and canal rides for visitors' entertainment. Unfortunately, despite its grand size and amenities, the mall still needs to draw more shoppers, as five of its seven sections need to be more occupied. Consequently, it has earned the nickname "Ghost Mall" due to its lack of business. The mall's poor performance serves as a reminder that even the most extravagant places can only succeed if there is sufficient demand. 4. Isfahan City Center, Iran - 7,000,000 Sq. Ft Plaza of Isfahan City Center, Iran. Image Credit Hamed73b, via Wikimedia Commons Isfahan City Center, the fourth largest mall in the world, opened in Iran in 2012. It has over 7 million square feet of Gross Leasable Area and includes a museum, an indoor theme park with roller coaster and bumper cars, an entertainment center, a hypermarket, restaurants, a World Trade Center, and an International Financial Center. Moreover, there are over 750 retail outlets and a 5-star hotel to satisfy the visitors. With so many features, it's no wonder this mall has become one of the most famous shopping centers in Iran. 5. SM Mall Of Asia, Philippines - 6,349,530 Sq. Ft Aerial view of SM Mall of Asia in Bay City, Pasay, Manila, Philippines. Editorial credit photosounds / Situated on a reclaimed area within the Philippines' Manila Bay, the SM Mall of Asia is truly a marvel, having earned itself the title of the fifth-largest mall in the world. With million square feet of Gross Leasable Area and 200,000 daily visitors, it is easy to see why it attracts such large crowds. The mall has numerous exciting features, such as an IMAX theater, cutting-edge restaurants, an ice skating rink for all ages, five hotels, and The Galeón museum - a collection of artifacts from around the world, including exhibited pieces with models of ships. All these attractions guarantee visitors a unique experience when they walk through its doors. 6. SM Tianjin, China - 6,080,000 Sq. Ft Tianjin, China Another gigantic mall located in China is SM City Tianjin. Spanning a little over six million leasable square feet, the mall houses more than 2,500 stores spread throughout the enormous complex. It is composed of five different buildings, each named after the five traditional Chinese elements—Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. The mall opened its doors in 2016 in the bustling Tianjin Airport Economic Area. 7. Golden Resources Mall, China - 6,000,010 Sq. Ft East Section of the Golden Resources Mall, China. Image Credit N509FZ, via Wikimedia Commons The Golden Resources Mall in Beijing's Haidian District is an impressive feat of engineering and consumerism. Located in one of the most populated cities in the world, having over 6 million square feet of space makes this mall the seventh-largest worldwide. The mall has six floors and a grand 206-foot-tall entrance gate. Visitation to the mall significantly increased with the addition of two new subway lines at strategic locations near the mall. Millions of guests flock to this mall every year for an unique shopping experience. 8. CentralPlaza WestGate, Thailand - 5,923,140 Sq. Ft CentralPlaza WestGate is a hub shopping plaza and complex in Nonthaburi, Thailand. Editorial credit Setthawuth / The country's biggest mall is the CentralPlaza WestGate, located in Thailand's Nonthaburi Province, in a suburb of its capital city Bangkok. It has over million square feet of gross floor area composed of multiple floors. It is deemed South East Asia's "Super Regional Mall" and has managed to convert Thailand into a thriving regional shopping hub. This mall has over 500 Thai and international brands and over 200 restaurants. 9. CentralWorld, Thailand - 5,900,000 Sq. Ft The street in front of shopping mall Central World at the downtown of Bangkok, Thailand during New Year festival. Editorial credit jaturonoofer / Almost as big as the CentralPlaza WestGate Mall is Thailand's CentralWorld Mall located in the country's capital, Bangkok. One of the largest shopping complexes in the region, the CentralWorld Mall includes 500 stores, 100 restaurants and cafés, and 15 cinemas. In addition, it has a kid's zone, a learning center, and two department stores. The mall also has an indoor ice skating rink, like a few others on this list. 10. ICONSIAM, Thailand - 5,650,000 Sq. Ft Waterfront of ICONSIAM shopping mall at night. Editorial credit AlivePhoto / Also located in Bangkok is the next largest mall in Thailand, the ICONSIAM Mall. This spectacular river-side mixed-use development is unique since, aside from the usual retail stores, it also has a quirky indoor floating market where shoppers can buy food. Opened in 2018, ICONSIAM has operated over million square feet, which is a real opportunity for guests to stretch their legs. Shoppers find many of the grandest malls throughout Asia, specifically because mall culture is a serious business there. It fuels the economy by providing thousands of locals with valuable employment and strengthening the country's business sector. In some Southeast Asian countries, an air-conditioned mall provides a comfortable respite from the hot or humid temperatures outside, encouraging people to flock to the malls daily. Whether you're a shopaholic or just looking for a place to window-shop, these are the biggest malls in the world that are worth a visit. From Tehran to Bangkok, these retail giants will have you browsing for hours. So plan your trip accordingly and get ready to max out your credit card! The 20 Biggest Shopping Malls In The World Rank Mall Country City Metropolitan Area Gross Leasable Area In Sq. Ft 1 Iran Mall Iran Tehran 21,000,000 2 IOI City Mall Malaysia Putrajaya 8,840,000 3 South China Mall China Dongguan 7,100,000 4 Isfahan City Center Iran Isfahan 7,000,000 5 SM Mall of Asia Philippines Pasay Metro Manila 6,349,530 6 SM Tianjin China Tianjin 6,080,000 7 Golden Resources Mall China Beijing 6,000,010 8 Central Plaza WestGate Thailand Nonthaburi 5,923,140 9 Central World Thailand Bangkok 5,900,000 10 ICONSIAM Thailand Bangkok 5,650,000 11 Mall of America United States Bloomington 5,600,000 12 1 Utama Malaysia Petaling Jaya 5,590,000 13 SM City North EDSA Philippines Quezon City 5,351,960 14 Global Harbor China Shanghai 5,200,000 15 SM Megamall Philippines Mandaluyong 5,100,000 16 SM Seaside City Cebu Philippines Cebu City 5,064,270 17 Persian Gulf Complex Iran Shiraz 4,800,000 18 The Avenues Mall Kuwait Al Rai 4,570,000 19 Sunway Pyramid Malaysia Subang Jaya 4,300,000 20 New Century Global Center China Chengdu 4,300,000 More in Places RequestValidationError No matches found for the given path - /montreal/things-to-do/montreal-malls Large shopping malls provide a one-stop shopping for anything imaginable. Our list of largest malls in the world is based on the amount of “Gross Leasable Area”. This is the number of square feet the property has for revenue-generating activities like retail, dining and amusements. The building boom in Asia, where land is cheap and labor costs are low has produced the largest shopping malls. Only two shopping malls on this list are located outside Asia. 10. Siam Paragon million sq ft Siam Paragon in Bangkok is one of the largest shopping malls in Thailand. Only the nearby CentralWorld is larger. It includes a wide range of specialty stores and restaurants as well as a multiplex movie theater, the Siam Ocean World aquarium, the Thai Art Gallery and an opera concert hall. It also has a large bowling alley and karaoke center. 9. Berjaya Times Square million sq ft Located in Kuala Lumpur, Berjaya Times Square is a twin tower complex containing a shopping center and two five star hotels. With million square feet 700,000 m² of built up floor area it is currently the fifth largest building in the world. The shopping mall includes more than 1,000 retail shops, 65 food outlets and several entertainment attractions such as Asia’s largest indoor theme park, Cosmo’s World and Malaysia’s first-ever IMAX 2D & 3D theater which is located on the 10th Floor. 8. Istanbul Cevahir million sq ft Located on the European side of Istanbul in Turkey, the Cevahir Shopping and Entertainment Centre opened its doors in 2005. It is the largest shopping mall in Europe. There are 343 shops, 34 fast food restaurants and 14 exclusive restaurants in the shopping centre. Other facilities include a large stage for events, 12 cinemas, a bowling hall, a small roller coaster and several other entertainment facilities. 7. SM Megamall million sq ft Opened in 1991, SM Megamall in Metro Manila is one of the largest malls in the Philippines. The mall attracts a daily foot traffic of 800,000 people with a maximum capacity of 4 million people. The mall has two main buildings. Building A features cinemas, a bowling alley, food courts and the Toy Kingdom. Building B features the retail shops. The bridgeway connecting the two main buildings of the mall contains several eateries. SM Megamall is currently under major renovation and expansion. When finished, it will be able to claim the ultimate title of largest shopping mall in the Philippines. 6. West Edmonton Mall million sq ft The West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, was the largest shopping mall from 1981 until 2004 and is currently the largest mall in the Americas. Beside 800 stores and services, the mall includes the largest indoor amusement park in the world, the largest indoor waterpark in the world and Ice Palace a scaled down version of a NHL regulation sized ice rink, so not the largest in the world. Other attractions include an 18-hole miniature golf course, a movie theater and a bowling alley. 5. Dubai Mall million sq ft The Dubai Mall is part of the Burj Khalifa complex, the tallest man-made structure ever built. At over 12 million square feet equivalent in size to more than 50 soccer fields, the Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world based on total area but about the same size as the West Edmonton Mall if based on leasable space. The mall contains more than 1,200 shops including the world’s largest candy store, an ice rink, a SEGA game center featuring a 3D bowling game, a 5 star luxury hotel, 22 cinema screens plus 120 restaurants and cafes. The mall also contains one of the largest aquariums in the world. 4. SM Mall of Asia million sq ft The SM Mall of Asia in Metro Manila, the Philippines, opened in 2006, consists of four buildings interconnected by walkways. It features a 20-seater tram which takes shoppers around the mall grounds. One of the mall’s main attractions is an IMAX theater with one of the world’s biggest 3D screens. The mall also features an Olympic-sized ice skating rink. It can accommodate both recreational and competitive figure skating, as well as ice hockey. 3. CentralWorld million sq ft Opened in 1990, the eight-story CentralWorld in Bangkok is the largest shopping mall in Thailand. It marketed itself as a middle class shopping center, opposed to the upper class-marketed Siam Paragon. On 19th May of this year, CentralWorld was one of the many properties set on fire by anti government protestors. The fire raged for two days and the Zen department store collapsed in the fire. After months of repair works, the shopping complex reopened on 28th September with 80% of its retail space open for business. 2. Golden Resources Mall million sq ft At times the size of the Mall of America, Golden Resources Mall in China was the world’s largest shopping mall from 2004 to 2005. Although the developer of the mall initially estimated that the mall would have 50,000 shoppers a day, as of 2004 the actual number was far smaller, as few as 20 in an hour. One problem was that prices of most items sold were far beyond the purchasing ability of most ordinary Chinese. Another barrier was the inaccessibility of Golden Resources Shopping Mall to foreign consumers due to its location outside the heart of Beijing. 1. New South China Mall million sq ft New South China Mall in Dongguan, China, is the largest mall in the world based on gross leasable area. The mall features seven zones modeled on international cities including a replica of the Arc de Triomphe and a canal with gondolas. It also has an indoor-outdoor roller coaster. What is doesn’t have is customers. Since its opening in 2005, the mall has suffered from a severe lack of occupants. Much of the retail space has remained empty, with over 99% of the stores vacant. The only occupied areas of the mall are near the entrance where several Western fast food chains are located. It has been nicknamed the largest ghost mall in the world. The continent needs places where anyone can picnic, hang out or even protestThe shopping mall was invented, nearly 70 years ago, in America. It was then copied in Europe. Yet Asia has inarguably made the shopping mall its own. Eight of the world’s ten biggest malls are in the region; exclude China and five still remain, all in South-East to this story. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or browser does not support the glass-and-concrete malls sucking city dwellers indoors mark a huge architectural and cultural break. Until near the end of the 20th century, the region’s monumental architecture was dominated by imposing projections of imperial, communist or newly minted post-colonial state power think of Beijing’s Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, Lutyens-era New Delhi or Sukarno’s reshaping of Jakarta, with wide avenues and imposing government buildings. What will future archaeologists, then, make of the vast retail boxes jutting out of Asia’s urban sprawl?They may divine Asian antecedents. In early 20th-century Japan, the development of railways made terminuses the natural place for multistorey emporiums that blended shopping with entertainment and even culture exhibitions of exquisite kimonos, lacquerware, pottery or woodblock prints designed to appeal to a burgeoning middle class. Just as many of Tokyo’s posh department stores were built by railway companies, so today one of Hong Kong’s big mall developers is the public-transport operator. Passengers are whisked effortlessly from the platform to the mall the densest conurbations, the concept goes a step further. Various malls are connected by underground tunnels or, more dramatically, sky-bridges. Discouraged from ever touching the ground outside, you float for miles through elevated rivers of retail and entertainment bliss, sampling shops, eateries, cinemas, exhibitions, play areas, skating rinks and even parks. High-rise housing blocks also connect, allowing residents to descend to heaven. Here is a safe space for multi-generational families or friends to gather. Bangkok is one example of the trend. Singapore is an apotheosis of sorts, a republic of Banyan is, by profession, a flâneur in Asia. And despite notable improvements in public transport, an invariable consequence of mall-building is to wrap developments in ever-widening networks of highways and approach roads. Heavily discriminated against is the pedestrian trying to cross the city at ground is the flâneur nourished once inside the pleasure domes. There sit the same store brands and the same eateries though if you are lucky you may be able to sit “outside” under plastic palm trees. Artificial light replaces the natural kind, an intentional disruption to circadian rhythms to keep you trapped in mall-time. Less heaven than inescapable purgatory. In the malls along Singapore’s Orchard Road, getting out is a challenge. You pop your head above ground like a marmot, to find that you are in the wrong place. No choice but to return to the mall and wander about for another be fair, malls offer shelter from the heat and humidity one Hong Kong colleague hates malls except from May to October, when the weather is at its most oppressive. But try napping on a bench, if you can find one. A security guard will soon be nudging you awake. All this points to a glaring, if little mentioned, feature of Asia’s malls. Though supposedly open to all, they are pseudo-public spaces at best. In India officious guards keep out anyone but the upper classes, unless they are employees or carrying someone’s bags. Everywhere behaviour is circumscribed by the unpublished by-laws of private developers. People in power surely approve of malls’ anaesthetising effect upon political expression. If true civic space and accountability existed in abundance outside the malls, it would not matter. But governments too often give politically well-connected developers cut-rate land, eating into scarce public space. In Manila the biggest malls sit in surreal, first-world developments that are a self-enclosed world away from nearby slums, poverty and violence. Manila’s elites, who live in these developments, are notoriously unconcerned with confronting the city’s huge the pandemic mark peak mall? In many, footfall is returning only slowly. Shopping is moving fast online. In South-East Asia tax perks and easy money have encouraged a mall surfeit, with hulking carcasses now rotting across the cityscape. Future archaeologists will wonder why 21st-century urban planners thought shops needed so much space, and people so more from Banyan, our columnist on AsiaAbe Shinzo still looms large over Japan May 28thIndia’s politicians have figured out how to turn welfare into votes May 21stThe Taliban crave recognition but refuse to do anything to earn it May 14thThis article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "Incredible hulks"Asia June 4th 2022Imran Khan is jeopardising Pakistan’s attempts to fix its economyKazakhstani voters may revoke their ex-president’s vast privilegesChina’s e-sports players are challenging South Korea’s dominanceRodrigo Duterte’s drug war pushed poor families deeper into penuryVietnam is leading the transition to clean energy in South-East AsiaThe luxury of Asia’s malls is no substitute for genuine public spacesFrom the June 4th 2022 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Explore the edition

our city has five big shopping malls