Zhuhai has been selected as one of China's Top 10 Happiest Cities (prefecture-level) for the fifth time, Oriental Outlook magazine and think tank Liaowang Institute announced on Nov 18.

Mayor Yao Yisheng received the award in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on behalf of Zhuhai and delivered a keynote speech. He said his charming coastal city has an amiable living environment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Local air quality has long been tops in the country, and average life expectancy has reached the international advanced level.

According to Yao, Zhuhai has dedicated the most desirable sites to parks and designated the best spaces for public architecture to offer locals the most beautiful urban surroundings possible. He cited Zhuhai Opera House on Yeli Island and Zhuhai Museum & Planning Exhibition Hall adjoining Sea & Sky (Haitian) Park.

Zhuhai Opera House on Yeli Island in Xianglu Bay against the backdrop of urban areas in Old Xiangzhou [Photo courtesy Guanhai App]

The city is also improving people's living conditions. For instance, he said, all buses are now electric vehicles, with ticket prices on all city routes being 1 yuan (15 cents). All artery and sub-arterial roads in downtown Zhuhai have been upgraded. A cross-river bridge or tunnel will be built every year through 2025, while a group of newly built or expanded scaled hospitals will come into operation.

In addition, Zhuhai has become a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship thanks to an innovation-driven development strategy and support for talents. A modern industrial system featuring sustainable development and harmonious co-existence between humans and nature has taken shape, said Guo.

The survey of China's Top 10 Happiest Cities assessed 100 candidates at prefecture level or beyond and 100 county-level cities (districts) for employment, residents' income, quality of life, ecological environment, attractiveness, public security, education, transport, and healthcare. The evaluation was based on big data collection, questionnaires, application materials, field investigation, and expert reviews.

The other nine happiest prefecture-level cities this year are Wenzhou and Taizhou of Zhejiang Province; Xuzhou, Taizhou, and Wuxi of Jiangsu; Tongchuan of Shaanxi; Foshan of Guangdong; Weihai of Shandong; and Yingkou of Liaoning.

Conducted 13 times since 2007, the survey has canvassed 1 billion people for opinions, recognized more than 70 cities and been reported by more than 1,000 media outlets.