The Empire State Building completed construction right before the Great Depression. The Great Depression was followed by WWII. The ESB became profitable as soo

The Empire State Building completed construction right before the Great Depression. The Great Depression was followed by WWII. The ESB became profitable as soon as the US economy picked up. In contrast, the Chinese Great Mall has been essentially vacant despite China's decade-long boom cycle. If they can't fill up the mall during a period of double-digit economic expansion, they never will.