This is why Suntec City Mall has lost its former glory

Suntec City used to be packed with tourists and shoppers but is now virtually empty. Feng shui explains the rise and fall of this once-popular mall.

In the 1980s, a group of 11 business tycoons led by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing jointly invested in what was then Singapore’s biggest commercial development: Suntec City. Completed in 1997, the building’s design and architecture places heavy emphasis on feng shui since Hong Kong people are known to be ardent believers in feng shui.

It’s common knowledge that Suntec City is designed in the shape of an open hand, with the five towers representing fingers. Some claim that the fingers’ connections to the palm symbolize Singapore’s different races living in harmony, although this could also be interpreted as achieving financial gain through unity and cooperation. You may also have realized that Suntec City is a “left hand”. Why left and not right? Because in China, the left hand represents men while the right represents women. Since the investors were all men, using a “left hand” naturally made sense.

The “left hand” of Suntec City can be described as not just an open hand, but also one with its five fingers pointing up at the sky! What is this humongous hand trying to grab? Well, if you look at Suntec Cityon a map, you’ll see that it forms a straight line with nearby Shenton Way, so the “hand” seems to be beckoning to the Central Business District and absorbing the positive qi from there. In its early days, Suntec City was often crowded with shoppers, tourists, and business tenants.

Apart from its megamall, Suntec City is also home to the famous Fountain of Wealth, which for a time was the biggest man-made fountain in the world. Since it sits on reclaimed land, a feng shui layout where water is kept in the “palm” is essential for the building to receive and retain qi. This brilliant feng shui formation is known as “King Holding Up the Sky”.

The placement of the Fountain of Wealth in the “palm” of Suntec City suggests the desire to hold on to wealth. However, nothing lasts forever: following the completion of the “Durian” that is the Esplanade, Suntec City seemed to lose its appeal. Not long after the Esplanade was built, an accident involving a crane damaged the Fountain of Wealth. From then on business slowed and the building’s ownership was later transferred.

It’s been reported that the new developers also consulted a feng shui master to help improve Suntec City’s lack of business. Even after renovations and adjustments, however, the building’s spatial planning is far from ideal, with numerous partitioned areas and confusing passageways. It’s like adding numerous lines to Suntec City’s left hand, forming a complex handprint that confuses and frustrates shoppers. Still, no matter what, the Fountain of Wealth generates an excellent energy field. If you happen to be at Suntec City, circle the fountain thrice and you might be able to absorb the aura of wealth from it!