(Image: AFP/Getty)

They must have needed all the champagne in the Chinese city of Chengdu to celebrate the opening of the largest building in the world on 1 July. The New Century Global Centre offers 1.76 million square metres of shopping, entertainment and office space. That’s almost enough space to fit the total area of Monaco, or four Vatican Cities.

When the interior of the building is complete in August, the city’s 14 million residents can escape its choking pollution on a 400-metre-long indoor beach surrounded by palm trees. The world’s largest LED screen – 150 metres wide – serenades swimmers in the background.

If you hate sand between your toes, you can try a 500-metre rafting river or a 14-screen IMAX cinema. Next door are the swooping glass curves of Zaha Hadid’s contemporary arts centre.