Core Pacific City
A large, now-demolished shopping and entertainment complex in Taipei's Songshan District, also known as the Living Mall.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Core Pacific City, commonly called the Living Mall and known in Chinese as Jinghua City, was a major shopping and entertainment complex in Taipei, Taiwan. It occupied a prominent site in Songshan District and was designed as a mixed-use, internally connected retail destination rather than a conventional department store. The complex opened in 2001 and was promoted as the world's first truly 24-hour mall and as Asia's first “city within a city,” reflecting the ambitions of Taipei's late-1990s and early-2000s retail and property-development market. The project was architecturally distinctive. Its approximately 204,190-square-metre complex combined an L-shaped building containing specialty retail and other commercial uses with a large spherical structure housing the Mira Department Store. The development reached 12 stories above ground and seven underground levels. The sphere, its most recognizable feature, rose 11 stories and was clad in granite imported from Finland, while the L-shaped section used Spanish granite. The unusual massing was partly associated with the high cost and limited availability of urban land in Taipei: the project concentrated a substantial commercial program within a comparatively constrained site. The mall's development and opening were accompanied by regulatory and safety difficulties. Before opening, its management was fined by the Taipei City Government after failing fire-safety inspections. Further penalties followed when the complex opened to the public without first obtaining an operating license. In February 2002, a fire prompted the evacuation of approximately 20,000 people. Authorities determined that the incident was arson, and in July of that year former Core Pacific official Lin Chang-cheng and two other defendants, Wang Lin-kwun and Lin Ching-chi, were convicted in connection with the fire. Reported losses were approximately NT$12 million. Core Pacific City competed in a changing Taipei retail environment. The opening of the Taipei 101 shopping mall in 2003 was expected to put pressure on tenant revenues, although the Living Mall's lower price positioning was thought to make it less vulnerable than some competing high-end destinations. In 2004, Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission cited the mall's management company over alleged unfair trade practices connected with a gift-certificate promotion campaign. The complex was eventually placed on the market as the Core Pacific Group reassessed the property. A public auction was announced in 2018 through Cushman & Wakefield, with an opening price of NT$38 billion. Core Pacific City ceased operations on 30 November 2019 and was subsequently demolished. Around 100,000 people reportedly visited on its final day, underscoring its visibility in Taipei's retail and popular culture even as its commercial performance and property future had become uncertain. The site later became associated with allegations concerning its redevelopment. In 2024, former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je was arrested in connection with corruption allegations relating to the redevelopment of the former Core Pacific City land. The property was impounded, and Ko was indicted in December 2024 on bribery and corruption charges. The mall also had a cultural afterlife: it appeared as a location in The Amazing Race 19 and was available as a landmark in the 2003 computer game SimCity 4.
History
Core Pacific City was a major retail and entertainment development in Taipei's Songshan District. It was also known as the Living Mall, while its Chinese name was Jinghua City. Construction was completed for an opening in 2001, and the project was promoted as an exceptionally ambitious form of urban retail: its developers described it as the world's first genuinely 24-hour mall and Asia's first “city within a city.” The concept sought to combine shopping, department-store retail, dining, entertainment, and other uses within a single landmark destination. The development was notable both for its size and its architecture. It contained approximately 204,190 square metres of floor space, arranged in two connected principal forms. An L-shaped building accommodated specialty boutiques and other commercial functions, while a large sphere housed the Mira Department Store. The complex had 12 above-ground floors and seven basement levels. The sphere stood 11 stories high and was covered in Finnish granite; the L-shaped portion used granite from Spain. The distinctive design was credited to the Jerde Partnership and Artech, Inc., with Arup providing engineering work. Jerde received a 2002 Gold Nugget Special Award of Excellence for the project, and Arup's work was recognized with a Structural Engineering Association of California Award for Excellence. The mall's launch was troubled by compliance issues. Before opening, management was fined by the Taipei City Government after the complex failed fire-safety inspections. Additional fines were imposed when the mall opened to the public without an operating license. In February 2002, a fire caused the evacuation of approximately 20,000 visitors and workers. Investigators determined that the fire had been deliberately set. In July 2002, former Core Pacific official Lin Chang-cheng was convicted along with Wang Lin-kwun and Lin Ching-chi. Losses from the incident were estimated at NT$12 million. Core Pacific City operated in an increasingly competitive Taipei mall market. Taipei 101's shopping mall opened in 2003, creating a potential threat to tenant sales. The Living Mall's relatively lower price points were regarded as a reason it might be less exposed than more expensive competitors. In 2004, however, the management company was cited by Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission for unfair trade practices connected with a gift-certificate promotion campaign. The property later entered a period of commercial and redevelopment uncertainty. In March 2018, Core Pacific Group announced that the mall would be offered for auction through Cushman & Wakefield. The public auction began on 12 December 2018 with an initial asking price of NT$38 billion. Core Pacific City finally closed on 30 November 2019 and was subsequently demolished. Its final day drew approximately 100,000 visitors. After demolition, the former mall site became part of a later political and legal controversy. In August 2024, former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je was arrested in relation to corruption allegations surrounding redevelopment of the property. The land was impounded, and Ko was indicted in December on bribery and corruption charges. The mall has also remained visible in popular culture: it served as the location of a Hazard task in The Amazing Race 19, involving an indoor bungee-jump performance, and appeared as a buildable landmark in Maxis's 2003 video game SimCity 4.
- 2024
Former site enters redevelopment corruption case
[1]The former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je is arrested and later indicted in connection with allegations concerning redevelopment of the former mall property.
- 2019
Mall closes and is demolished
[1]Core Pacific City ends operations on 30 November and is subsequently demolished.
- 2018
Property auction announced
[1]The Core Pacific Group places the mall on the auction market through Cushman & Wakefield, with an initial price of NT$38 billion.
- 2004
Fair Trade Commission action
[1]The mall's management company is cited over alleged unfair trade practices involving a gift-certificate promotion.
- 2003
Taipei 101 mall opens
[1]The opening of Taipei 101's mall introduces a significant new competitor in Taipei's retail market.
- 2002
Fire and criminal convictions
[1]A February fire leads to the evacuation of approximately 20,000 people. After the incident is classified as arson, three people are convicted in July.
- 2001
Core Pacific City opens
[1]The Living Mall opens in Taipei as a large mixed-use shopping and entertainment complex promoted around a 24-hour, city-within-a-city concept.
Products and positioning
A large-scale, highly experiential urban shopping and entertainment complex positioned around extended-hours retail, architectural spectacle, and a city-within-a-city concept. Its lower price positioning was part of its competitive distinction within Taipei's mall market.
Department store · 2001
Mira Department Store
The spherical component of Core Pacific City housed the Mira Department Store. It formed the visual and commercial centerpiece of the complex, integrating department-store merchandise into the mall's broader specialty-retail and entertainment program.
Shopping mall · 2001
Core Pacific City specialty retail
The L-shaped portion of the complex contained specialty boutiques and other commercial spaces. These retail uses were designed to operate alongside department-store shopping, dining, and leisure attractions within the larger Living Mall destination.
Controversies
2024
Former site linked to Taipei redevelopment corruption allegations
Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je was arrested and later indicted in a case involving alleged bribery and corruption related to redevelopment of the land formerly occupied by Core Pacific City.
2004
Fair-trade citation over promotional practices
The management company was cited by Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission over alleged unfair trade practices related to a gift-certificate promotion.
2002
Arson fire and convictions
A fire at the mall prompted the evacuation of approximately 20,000 people. Authorities classified it as arson, and former Core Pacific official Lin Chang-cheng and two other individuals were convicted in July 2002.
2001
Opening without operating license
Management was fined after the complex opened to the public without first obtaining an operating license. The opening period also involved penalties related to failed fire-safety inspections.
Marketing campaigns
- 2004Gift-certificate promotion campaign
Taiwan
A promotional campaign involving gift certificates was associated with the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission's citation of the mall's management company for unfair trade practices.
Outcome. The management company was cited by the Fair Trade Commission.
Brand decisions
2019
Close the shopping complexStrategyBackground
After the property was offered for auction, Core Pacific City reached the end of its operating life as a shopping center.
Action taken
Operations ended on 30 November 2019.
Aftermath
The building was subsequently demolished, and the former site became the subject of later redevelopment controversy.
2018
Offer the mall for public auctionStrategyBackground
The Core Pacific Group moved the property toward a sale process after the complex had operated for nearly two decades in a competitive Taipei retail market.
Action taken
The group engaged Cushman & Wakefield to arrange an auction, which opened to the public on 12 December 2018 with an initial price of NT$38 billion.
Aftermath
The mall closed on 30 November 2019 and was later demolished.
Initial auction price. NT$38 billion (Public auction opening on 12 December 2018)
Sources1 sources
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