Top 10 Biggest Malls in the World: A List Conquered by Asian Shopping Super-Structures

Looks like Asia, the largest continent in the world, lives up to its size when it comes to shopping malls and entertainment establishments. And it's no wonder that China has the most number of malls on the list. From land area to population to economy, they say it all.

If going on the same line of thought, perhaps, the most interesting country on the list is the Philippines. It is a small country in terms of land area. It may have a considerably large population in reference to its geographic size which may be the reason for the demand for big malls. Yet, economically speaking, this developing country isn't where most people would expect to have "three out of the 10 biggest malls in the world." In fact, it's fourth biggest mall ranks thirteenth on the longer list.

According to Forbes, these are the Top 10 Biggest Malls in the World:

1
South China Mall
Dongguan, China

This mall built in 2005 has 7.1 million square feet of floor space and occupies a total land area of 9.6 million square feet. It can hold more than 2,000 stores in its southern China location in Guangdong province (east of Guangzhou, the province's largest city). It features a number of zones modeled on international cities, top destinations and popular regions including Paris, Rome, Venice, Egypt, Amsterdam, California and Caribbean.

2
Jin Yuan (Golden Resources Shopping Mall)
Beijing, China

Opened in 2004 with 6 million square feet of interior mall space and 7.3 million square feet total land area, this mega-mall features six floors of shopping space. It houses more than 1,000 stores and is also branded as the "Great Mall of China." The mall is located near the Fourth Ring Road in west Beijing.

3
SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City, Philippines

Since 2006, the SM Mall of Asia has emerged as the Philippines' largest shopping mall with more than 600 shopping stores and boutiques, 150 dining establishments and 8,000 parking slots, along with miles of public utility vehicle spaces. It has a vast expanse of 4.2 million square feet. More popularly called MOA, this giant mall caters to all types of people with varing needs and interests. It offers upscale spots, affordable stores for the masses, party crowd spaces, areas for kids, family, singles and couples, prime local and international tourist areas, IMAX theater, events area, premiere cineplex, among many other amusement, gaming and entertainment centers. Mall of Asia is also a few miles away the Manila's international airport and a number of cultural and historical sites in the city.

4
Dubai Mall
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai Mall offers 3.8 million square feet of interior property space and 5.9 million square feet total land area. Opened in 2008, it is acknowledged as the region's premiere shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destination with more than 1,200 stores and a host of state-of-the-art attractions. It boasts of a 22-screen cineplex, a 5-star hotel, a walk-through aquarium, an indoor theme park, an ice skating rink and a large-scale food court.

5
West Edmonton Mall
Alberta, Canada

Since 1981, the West Edmonton Mall is home to North America's largest shopping and entertainment center with 3.8 million square feet of indoor property and 5.3 million square feet of total land area, spanning the equivalent of 48 city blocks. It has around 800 stores and over 100 dining establishments, along with an indoor wave pool, nine thrilling parks and attractions and 20,000 parking spaces. It also features the Fantasyland Hotel which is aptly located right inside the mall.

6
Cevahir Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey

The Cevahir Istanbul in the Sisli District of Turkey's capital Istanbul has been the largest shopping mall in Europe since 2005. It features six floors of mall structure with more than 26,000 square feet of glass roof that carries the biggest clock in the world. It offers around 280 stores, 12 cinemas including a private theater and a cinema for children, a bowling hall, a small roller coaster, a stage show, dozens of both fast food and exclusive restaurants and 2,500 parking slots. All these are within its 3.8 million square feet of mall space and 4.5 million square feet total property area. The mall is located in the business quarter of Istanbul's European side. It is easily accessible through the Istanbul metro as three floors of the shopping center is directly connected to the metro line.

7
SM City North Edsa
Quezon City, Philippines

This 1985 structure conducted prime expansion and upgrade until its new annex building's re-opening in 2008. This boosts its commercial and market appeal, along with its bigger mall size of 3.6 million square feet of mall space with more than 1,000 shops and hundreds of dining establishments. It features five floors, 12-cinema complex and an IMAX theater, a 200-shop Cyberzone, a supermarket, a hypermarket, a bowling alley, a food court, an entertainment stage for events and a world-class Sky Garden. Its façade also features a long frontal space filled with coffeeshops and popular restaurants and boutiques.

8
SM Megamall
Mandaluyong City, Philippines

SM Megamall in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City boasts of 3.6 million square feet of mall property space. Since 1991, its prime location in the heart of Metro Manila has made it a Philippine landmark easily accessible by the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and also public utility vehicles including buses, jeepneys, taxis and shuttle services passing by EDSA, the main circumferential road and highway of Metro Manila in the Philippines. It features around 750 shops, 250 restaurants, dozens of movie theaters, bowling center, convention halls, department store, grocery store and food court in its five floors plus a basement level. It has parking for over 5,000 cars and a number of public terminal stations for commuters.

9
Berjaya Times Square
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Opened in 2005, this Kuala Lumpur landmark occupies 3.4 million square feet of mall area and a 7.5 million square feet of land area. Malaysia's Berjaya Times Square houses over 1,000 stores, service outlets and a variety of retail anchors, around 45 restaurants, a theme park, 9 cinema halls, a Premiere Class Hall and an IMAX theater. More than just a shopping centre, this twin tower complex also features two 5-star hotels.

10
Beijing Mall
Beijing, China

The Beijing Mall is China's second biggest mall located about an hour from downtown Beijing. This 2005 mall structure has 3.4 million square feet of leasing area and 4.7 million square feet of total land area. Acknowledged as the first real suburban mall in China, this shopping center features four levels of shopping space, along with a number of interior residences. It features a man-made beach and has parking for around 8,000 cars.