Need a certain shop? I know the mall

"Malling" is one of my favorite pastimes in Beijing. It's like being a fly on the wall. You get to observe people's behaviors－what they're buying, what coffee they're drinking, what fashion trends women are wearing, how children behave around their parents, etc. I call it "field research inside a coffee shop".

The first mall my husband and I visited was Anzhenmen. It is the closest to our apartment, just a train stop away on Line 10. On a nice day, my husband and I would walk it. At first, we thought it was perfect, until we realized it did not have a well-stocked grocery store. I didn't see raisins, notebooks or coconut milk.

Weeks later, we discovered Wangfujing, and we were thrilled to find Cheesecake Factory, which is a very popular restaurant in New Jersey. When the pandemic happened, we decided to stop going because of the tourist crowds.

Solana and Sanlitun were recommended by friends. Nice clusters of brick-and-mortar shops, but they can be drag on days with extreme weather because of their open layout－designed to make them look like a town plaza. Occasionally we would go to Solana for some Malaysian beef jerky. Sanlitun is great when the sprinklers (fountains) are on full blast in summer. Such a joy to watch children jump up and down to chase the water.

Joy City did not merit a second visit. Neither did the Aegean, which looks a little rundown. Wukesong I like, but it is so far away. Bairong is also far away, but has a wide selection of items like shoes, kitchenware and bedsheets.

The mall beside Hotel Eclat was becoming our favorite until Cocotine closed down. Bye-bye, cheesy garlic bread.

By the time we discovered SKP, we had pretty much seen all the city's malls, and this one did not excite much. They have the usual bunch of expensive boutiques, like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Chanel, which we've seen in other malls.

Just to be clear: We go to malls to browse, to see what's new around town and not always to shop. But we are not "mall rats" by any stretch of the imagination.

One of our visits to We Life was unforgettable. There was a loud shouting match between two shoppers. We couldn't understand what the commotion was about, but the level of interest from people was amusing to watch. Oddly, no one was recording.

In time, we came to know Kerry Center. It has few shoppers (which is great in an era of social distancing) and has a connecting tube to China World Mall. Together, they make up one big walking universe where adults get to rack up their 10,000 steps and children can half-skate, half-walk or run freely. The place is pleasant (no heat, dust or pollen) and relaxing (no bikes that can sneak up on you). A special mention is required for the toilets, they are always sweet-smelling clean and usually empty.

There's so much more to see, as Beijing is said to have more than a hundred malls from a universe of about 4,800 across China as of 2020, according to industry research. Thousands more are projected to open in the coming years.

While shopping malls in other parts of the world are facing extinction－due to rising rental costs and a surge in popularity of online shopping－many Chinese malls appear to be flourishing. There is talk of introducing smart technology－robots, for instance－that can enrich the mall experience even more. That would be cool to watch too: Beijingers and robots and how they get along.

Contact the writer at pastor@chinadaily.com.cn