Almost a year to the day after The Nanjinger reported on the construction of what was then touted as “Asia’s largest single building”, Golden Eagle Square Plaza opened for business this last weekend, the 18th November being an auspicious date in this year's Chinese calendar.
The thick layer of dust still covering everything that hasn't yet been let did not stop the crowds from descending on Nanjing’s burgeoning Hexi area Saturday, to visit China’s latest shrine to consumerism, lying just off Jiangdong Lu.
Whether this is up high on the list of China’s biggest malls is neither here nor there, but nevertheless, this is a big place. Spread over nine floors that seem to go on for almost forever, the upper levels, as is the habit in China, are devoted to the culinary, with many an established Nanjing brand in evidence. Fans of Japanese cuisine will be particularly satisfied. Such are accompanied by a cinema, hot spring and roof garden.
Only in China would one put a second hand car dealership on the 6th floor of a shopping mall, while its neighbour offers the new incarnations from the big boys of the motoring world; Lamborghini, Mclaren, Tesla along with the usual suspects, the now run-of-the-mill BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
On the mid levels, find spas, hawkers of all things electrical, IT and home appliances, plus the “Light Year Park” that specialises in hand-made products; Japanese flower arrangements, soap, bespoke fabric etc.
Level 3 is more or less devoted to the younger shopper, accompanied by an Early Childhood Education Centre”, while nearer ground level, every clothing brand on Earth, it appears, is joined by hair salons, clothing alteration specialists and the ubiquitous Starbucks, who have gone with one of their coffee book stores, as they have in other countries, something conveniently in line with the Chinese government’s latest obsession that is reading.
Golden Eagle is one of Nanjing’s biggest success stories. With its first store debuting in 1996 in Xinjiekou, this latest means the group now operates 29 self-owned stores in cities across the Yangtze River Delta. With its head offices in Hong Kong, the group is incorporated in the Cayman Islands.
