Chengdu topped the 2016 Happiest Chinese City ranking released on December 1 by the Oriental Outlook magazine of Xinhua News Agency and the Annual Report of Urban Development of China published by the China Association of Mayors.

Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, is well-known for its picturesque natural scenery, historical attractions, gourmet food and laid-back lifestyle.

The city is followed by Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, and Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu.

The ranking, the tenth edition of its kind, measures Chinese cities in terms of 16 criteria, including residents' income, quality of living, attachment to cities, travel wishes, employment, eco-environment, public order, traffic and education.

More than 11.28 million people participated in the nationwide survey since June.

Other cities in the top 10 ranking include Xi'an, Changchun, Changsha, Suzhou, Zhuhai, Beijing and Shanghai.