A picturesque landscape of Huzhou. [Photo/Huzhou News and Media Center]

Huzhou, located in Zhejiang province, was included in the 2025 list of China's happiest prefecture-level cities, which was released at the Happy Cities of China Forum 2025 held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, on Dec 9.

This marks that Huzhou has received this honor for the fourth consecutive year.

The survey of the happiest cities in China, conducted by Oriental Outlook, a Shanghai-based magazine affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, has been conducted annually for 19 years.

The forum brought together representatives from nearly 50 cities to share their innovative practices and achievements in improving the quality of life for their residents.

Huzhou's recognition underscores its commitment to sustainable development and ecological conservation. It was conferred the title of International Cooperation Demonstration Zone of Ecological Civilization in 2022 and was ranked 50th among China's top 100 cities in comprehensive strength in 2024.

In 2024, the ratio of per capita disposable income between urban and rural residents in Huzhou narrowed to 1.53, well below national and provincial averages.

During the forum, Huzhou highlighted its cultural heritage at the 2025 Happy City Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition, featuring traditional crafts such as Huzhou writing brush making and Zisun tea making. These crafts, which involve exquisite craftsmanship and rich cultural traditions, drew significant interest from attendees.