Three of the World's 10 Largest Malls

Metro Manila may not be the biggest city in the World but according to Forbes.com, the jewel of the Philippines holds a record of having three of the World's 10 Largest Malls. These Philippine Malls are the SM Mall of Asia, ranked No. 3 with a gross leasable Area of 4.2 million square feet; SM Megamall, ranked no. 6 with a gross leasable area of 3.6 million square feet; and SM City North Edsa, at 10th rank with a gross leasable area of 3 million square feet. All of these shopping malls I mentioned are owned by Filipino billionaire Henry Sy.

SM Mall of Asia is located in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines

SM Mega Mall is located in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines

SM City North EDSA is located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

To complete the excitement, here is the prestigious list of the World's 10 Largest Malls according to Forbes.com:

1.  South China Mall
     Location: Dongguan, China
     Year Opened: 2005
     Gross Leasable Area: 7.1 million square feet
     In the Chinese mall arms race, this facility opened a year after the Golden Resources Mall to displace it as the country's and the world's largest. The space includes windmills and theme parks, plus a replica of the Arc de Triomphe.

2.  Golden Resources Shopping Mall
    Location: Beijing, China
    Year Opened: 2004
    Gross Leasable Area: 6 million square feet
    Not sprawling, this is a stacked-up five-story mall. Approximately 1,000 stores, selling plenty of familiar global brands like Nike and DKNY. A truly ambitious real estate project, with new apartments and offices, surrounding the mall. A tough location outside the heart of the city has resulted in disappointing traffic from foreign tourists.

3. SM Mall of Asia
    Location: Pasay City, Philippines
    Year Opened: 2006
    Gross Leasable Area: 4.2 million square feet
    Includes the first Olympic-sized swimming pool and the first IMAX theater in the Philippines. Spread over four buildings, customers can get around on a 20-seat tram.

4. Cevahir Istanbul
    Location: Istanbul, Turkey
    Year Opened: 2005
    Gross Leasable Area: 3.8 million square feet
    Europe's largest shopping mall has a roller coaster, a wave pool, and several IMAX theaters.

5. West Edmonton Mall
    Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
    Year Opened: 1981
    Gross Leasable Area: 3.8 million square feet
    The biggest in North America, the West Edmonton Mall has over 800 stores, along with attractions like a water park, skating rink, casino, and rides.

6. SM Megamall
    Location: Mandaluyong City, Philippines
    Year Opened: 1991
    Gross Leasable Area: 3.6 million square feet
    Fun stuff includes bowling, ice skating, and a 12-cinema movie theater, along with traditional mall fare-like arcade games. Customers can also get a haircut or see a doctor at the Manila clinic.

7. Berjaya Times Square
    Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Year Opened: 2005
    Gross Leasable Area: 3.4 million square feet
    Built with an adjacent hotel and convention center. In addition to over 1,000 retail shops, the mall includes a 12-story-high roller coaster, plus a pool, skating rink, and "Cosmo's World," a children's theme park.

8. Beijing Mall
    Location: Beijing, China
    Year Opened: 2005
    Gross Leasable Area: 3.4 million square feet
    The first real suburban mall in China, located about an hour from downtown Beijing, this center has four levels with parking for 8,000 cars, plus a man-made beach. Bootlegged DVDs of American movies are top sellers.

9.  Zhengjia Plaza
    Location: Guangzhou, China
    Year Opened: 2005
    Gross Leasable Area: 3 million square feet
    Has been known to attract over half a million shoppers on a good day. Another mixed-use space, the mall has a hotel and office tower in addition to retail stores.

10. SM City North Edsa
Location: Quezon City, Philippines
Year Opened: 1985
Gross Leasable Area: 3 million square feet
The first major "mega-mall" was built by SM Prime Holdings, which now claims three of the largest 10 in the world. It's a five-story complex that boasts over 100 retail outlets and restaurants, along with 12 cinemas, a bowling alley, and a skating rink. An IMAX theater could be added soon.

Source of the article: World's 10 Largest Shopping Malls by Tom Van Riper at Forbes.com 
Source of images: Forbes.com