Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province is listed among the top 10 happiest cities in China. [Photo/cnnb.co.cn]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province made the list of the top 10 happiest cities in China, according to a forum held in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Nov 25.

This is the 10th year in a row that the city has won the award.

Other cities that made the list include Chengdu, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Changsha, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Tongchuan and Xuzhou.

The ranking, jointly compiled by Oriental Outlook and Liaowang Think Tank, has been published for 13 years. Roughly a billion people across China have participated in the survey.

The ranking this year was made by evaluating cities in terms of employment, resident income, living quality, environment, education and public security.

At the forum, Ningbo was also honored as a model city for its strong capabilities in city governance.

The city's three administrative areas, namely, Yinzhou, Ciyi and Yuyao, also made the list of 2019 China's happiest counties.

Wang Qiguang, deputy editor in chief of Oriental Outlook, pointed out that Ningbo is leading the nation in city governance and urban-rural integration and the life of local citizens is full of gains and happiness.

Ningbo, with a history of more than 7,000 years, was home to a number of heavyweight thinkers throughout history, including Wang Yangming and Huang Zongxi.

Wang Yangming (1472–1529) was a Chinese statesman, general, and Neo–Confucian philosopher born in Yuyao, Ningbo. Huang Zongxi was a Chinese naturalist, political theorist, philosopher, and soldier during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Official data shows that a total of 118 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering are Ningbo natives.

In 2018, the city's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded one trillion yuan ($149.25 billion), ranking 15th nationwide. The cargo throughput of Ningbo Zhoushan port ha ranked first in the world for 10 consecutive years.

Qiu Dongyao, mayor of Ningbo, delivers a speech at the 2019 China Happiest City Forum held in in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Nov 25. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]