China's happiest cities revealed

The 2025 list of China's happiest cities was unveiled at the Happy Cities Forum 2025 held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, on Tuesday.

A total of 48 cities and districts made the list in the annual survey-and-selection event. They included 11 provincial capitals and separately listed cities, such as Chengdu in Sichuan and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, 11 prefecture-level cities, such as Wenzhou in Zhejiang and Wuxi in Jiangsu, five districts under municipalities like Beijing's Xicheng district, as well as 10 urban districts and 11 county-level cities.

Chengdu, with an urban history of over 2,300 years and now a key hub in Southwest China, has been on the list for 17 consecutive years.

The happiest cities survey-and-selection event, sponsored by the Oriental Outlook magazine affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, has recognized over 100 cities and districts since its launch 19 years ago, said the event organizers.

The selection this year was based on an urban happiness index system that involved big data collection covering indicators such as employment, residents' income, quality of life, ecological environment, city attractiveness, public safety, education, transportation, and healthcare, according to the organizers.