Macau businessman David Chow Kam Fai’s Hengqin Portuguese-style mall will open towards the end of this year.
The (US$238.6 million) project, which was completed last year, covers around 140,000sqm with enough retail space for more than 300 shops. It was designed by local architect Carlos Marreiros to resemble classic Portuguese architecture, and is conveniently positioned in front of the Hengqin Border.
In an inauguration ceremony this week, Chow stated that the complex will be as much a shopping platform as a mall, bringing together products, culture and entrepreneurs from Portuguese-speaking countries and China. It will feature an exhibition centre expected to promote Greater Bay Area products for up to five years.
Thirty per cent of the stores in the complex will be reserved for local Macau businesses.
“In general, 80 per cent of the products manufactured in the nine cities of the Greater Bay are for domestic consumption and only 20 per cent are for export,” said Chow. In this context, the exhibition center may offer sales routes and provide the opportunity to display the products for a longer period than the one that happens when the fairs are held.”