A night view of Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]

At the 2024 Happiest Cities Forum hosted by Xinhua News Agency's Oriental Outlook magazine on Dec 20, Ningbo was named the "happiest city" for the 15th time.

Yinzhou, Yuyao, Cixi, and Ninghai, all located in Ningbo, were also recognized in the "happiest city" (county-level cities and districts) category, with Yinzhou topping the list.

Ningbo is one of Zhejiang's two cities with a GDP exceeding 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion). In 2023, its GDP reached 1.64 trillion yuan, ranking 12th among Chinese mainland cities.

Ningbo's comprehensive strength ranks 11th nationwide, its urban resilience ranks 10th, and its number of listed companies ranks 9th. Ningbo also excels in manufacturing value-added output, foreign trade exports, and container throughput, ranking among the top in the nation.

In 2023, the per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents in Ningbo reached 80,144 yuan and 48,350 yuan, respectively. The urban-rural income gap has been narrowing for 20 consecutive years.

Spending on communities, social security and employment, and education grew by 8.7 percent, 6.6 percent, and 6.4 percent, respectively, in 2023. The city was also named a national pilot city for infant care services.

As a city that values reading, Ningbo has enacted legislation to promote reading, designating April as the annual Reading Month. The city's natural beauty, combined with its well-developed infrastructure, makes it an attractive place to live, with convenient transportation networks and a harmonious blend of traditional and modern elements.