When Dandong Wanda Plaza opened in late 2013, it was the largest commercial complex in northeastern China. Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo opened a store here, as did U.S. fast food franchise KFC and South Korean brands Café Bene and Lotte Mart.

Wanda Group, the largest commercial real estate company in China and the world’s biggest operator of cinemas, constructed a huge multiplex adjacent to the mall. At the end of this row of gigantic commercial space Wanda also built a Wanda Realm, the latest addition to its luxury hotel chain. In the lobby, a woman dressed