It’s no surprise that the world’s biggest mall is in China, a billion-dollar hotbed of consumerism.

But what comes as a surprise is that the world’s largest mall is 99% empty.

New South China Mall sits on over 7 million square feet of former farmland in Guangdong, Southern China built by noodle billionaire Hu Gui Rong.

But since it was built in 2005, it hasn’t attracted merchants, who say that it is not a practical place to set up shop.

Visitors can see its Venice-style gondolas and huge corridors empty. A YouTube documentary, “Utopia Part 3,” attempts to unravel the mystery.

Mornings@ANC, April 11, 2012