The site of the International Trade (Guomao) Shopping Plaza was handed over to Zhuhai Huafa Group on March 31 to be replaced by a world-class City Heart urban complex in Jida. 

Established in 1987 and formerly called Zhuhai Commercial City, the Guomao Shopping Plaza was one of the earliest malls in the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone. Over the next four years, it will be rebuilt into an ultra-large high-end complex as part of the City Heart urban complex. The East Annex Building had been demolished before Spring Festival.

The new city landmark will integrate elements of culture, tourism, entry-level luxury goods, entertainment, and fashion, and encompass shopping, catering, leisure, entertainment, education, and art facilities. 

Design sketch of new International Trade (Guomao) Shopping Plaza [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

Handover of the plot marks the construction onset of the City Heart Core Area first phase. It is to be built to the highest standards with support of Zhuhai Duty Free Enterprises Group to make sure the new plaza can open on time, said a person in charge at Zhuhai Huafa Group.

The 89,900-sq-m (22-acre) Core Area is a triangular plot between Jingshan Road and South Haibin Road west of Haibin Park and Jida Bus Terminal. In two phases, it will contain a modern high-end urban complex of Grade-A office buildings, shopping centers, boutique hotels, and upscale apartments. 

In the interim, the adjacent Duty-Free Emporium will remain open during first-phase reconstruction. Steps will be taken to improve its image, product quality, and service level, according to a staff member from the Duty-Free Emporium.

Covering all of 700,000 sqm (173 acres), City Heart will consist of the Core, Central, and Nanshan areas, which correspond respectively to the Jida Business Circle and Jida and Nanshan industrial zones.