Hamilton's Te Awa The Base is a finalist in the Asia Pacific Shopping Centre Awards in Shanghai, China, this weekend.

The International Council of Shopping Centres-organised awards recognise excellence in the region's shopping centre industry.

Te Awa, built and owned by Tainui group Holdings, the commercial investment and development arm of Waikato-Tainui, is a finalist in the "renovations and expansions" section of the awards.

The other finalists are Australia's Charlestown Square and Robina Town Centre; Paradise Park in Bangkok; and Qingdao iShine City in China.

Last year, Tainui Group Holdings won the "judges' choice" award for its contribution to the Waikato property industry at the region's first Property Council awards.

Te Awa opened in mid-2010 at a cost of $120 million. Construction of stage three started last year, with stage 3A opening in April and stages 3B and 4 opening last month, featuring the new, all-digital Hoyts cinema complex.

Te Awa The Base is credited with halting the flow of shoppers from Waikato to big malls in Auckland.

On Boxing Day last year, 41,000 people visited the Te Awa shopping complex.

- © Fairfax NZ News