Qingdao’s picturesque coastal line.

In the recently concluded Happy Cities of China Forum 2023, Qingdao ranked among the list of happiest cities of China (including provincial capital cities and municipalities with independent planning status) for a fourth consecutive year.

The selection of the happiest cities of China has been held for 17 years in a row. Subject to rigorous selections by big data gathering, submission of material, cyber questionnaire survey and expert review, the 2023 happiest cities of China were finally unveiled. With the theme of “High-quality Development Makes Cities Increasingly Happy” and the focus on people-oriented urban development, the event aimed to make a survey of happiness in Chinese cities and promote vivid practices in the construction of happy cities by underlining continuous improvements in the modernization of governance system and capacity, high-quality development and the path of urban development with Chinese characteristics. (Lin Junyan)