Hangzhou officially China's happiest city

Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province, was voted China's happiest city, Economic Observer reported (in Chinese). The appraisal of the country's 10 happiest cities, the first such survey conducted in China, was hosted by Xinhua News Agency, the China Association of Mayors, the China Population Welfare Foundation and the China Social and Economic Survey Institution. Criteria for the title included pace of life, business opportunities, environment, social security, culture and entertainment. Shenyang, Zhongshan, Ningbo and Qingdao were listed after Hangzhou in the top five. Shanghai ranked eighth, while Beijing was voted China's nineth-happiest city.