>In 2012, I traveled for about 6 weeks in China. ........None of this made any sense

It really doesn't. That is until you visit there again in 3 - 5 years times. Everything is different. You start getting lots more people and spending money. Ok it is not like everyone becomes wealthy overnight. But from Zero to having a few people actually buying, shopping and eating in these malls is quite an achievement. And they move from bottom class Third Tier cities into upper class Third Tier etc...

I have seen it, it is a little hard to comprehend. I still don't know how everything was possible.