Three cities in East China's Zhejiang province – Hangzhou, Ningbo and Taizhou – were chosen as 2017's happiest cities in China by Oriental Outlook magazine's annual ranking, released on Dec 7.

One of China's most influential measurements of a city's overall development and its residents' quality of life, Oriental Outlook's rankings were released this month for the 11th consecutive year. More than 986 million people worldwide have submitted completed questionnaires over the past 11 years.

The poll surveys a city to established standards involving education, employment, medical care, public services and the environment.

Hangzhou

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, is famous for its beautiful natural scenery and well-organized society. The city attaches great importance to everyday civility, announcing regulations over transportation, public manners and voluntary services.

Hangzhou is the only city to have been on the list of China's happiest cities for 11 consecutive years.

In Hangzhou, buses and cars give way to pedestrians. [Photo/Zhejiang Fabu WeChat]