SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the country’s largest mall developer and operator, recently opened SM City Chongqing, its fifth mall in China.  Located in Southwest China, it is the company’s fifth shopping mall in China after SM City Xiamen, SM City Jinjiang, SM City Chengdu, and SM City Suzhou.

Known as the Chicago of the East, Chongqing is one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government of China after Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Guangzhou.

An economic center upstream of the Yangtze River, Chongqing’s 3,000 years of history highlights the broad and deep Bashu culture, where the root of prosperity is rooted.

Today, Chongqing has several economic and technological zones and is a major railway hub.  The city also boasts of cultural heritage and natural attractions, and is the starting point of the Yangtze River Cruise, which explores the scenery of China’s Three Gorges.

The 149,080 sqm six-level mall is located in Chongqing’s rapidly developing Yubei district.  With its strategic location and transport accessibility, the mall will serve a population of approximately 30 million residents in the city of Chongqing.

SM City Chongqing’s exterior design features “fish scale” panels accented by lighting a “fish scale” overlaps.  Slanted glass panels define entrances at the lobby, giving customers a grand welcome.

Customers get a grand welcome as they enter as beige tones create a warm, cordial, and clean feeling.  Huge skylights not only give customers a sense of awe, but also provide the mall with natural lighting, making it environment-friendly.

Navigating around the mall is easy, as the planning of retail shops focuses on the circulation flow.  An array of exhibits of goods can be seen through either sides of the mall lobby to enhance the shopping experience.

With 85 percent of the mall awarded to various tenants, SM City Chongqing offers a mix of local and international stores with Vanguard Supermarket, SM Department Store, and Wanda Cinema as its anchor tenants.  Junior anchors include Vera Moda, Ongly, Jack & Jones, Watsons, Starbucks, and Kidswant.

SM City Chongqing is the sixth SM mall to be opened by SM Prime this year after SM City Olongapo in Zambales, SM City Consolacion in Cebu, SM San Fernando in Pampanga, SM City General Santos in Cotobato, and SM Lanang Premier in Davao.

The company now has a total of 51 malls in the Philippines and in China.