HAIKOU /China/, May 10. /TASS/. The city of Sanya in the southern province of Hainan has been included in the top 10 of China's cities to live in and visit. The rating was presented at a ceremony held in Chengdu (southwest Sichuan province), the Sanya Daily newspaper wrote.
The ranking is based on the analysis of big data by China Central Television together with the National Bureau of Statistics of China and China Post. Each year the ranking analyzes the situation in 150 cities and 300 counties in China.
Sanya's inclusion in the top 10 indicates recognition of the city's achievements in the areas of socio-economic development and tourism, the publication notes. The list also includes cities such as Guangzhou, Dali, Changsha, Beihai, Xi'an, Yangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa and Quanzhou.
The city of Sanya is among the most popular resort centers in the province. By 2025, the authorities intend to transform Hainan into an "international center of tourism and consumption." The Chinese island is often referred to as "Oriental Hawaii". Local nature, tropical forests, a developed network of hotels combined with the beaches and the coastline length of more than 1.9 thousand kilometers attract visitors from the farthest corners of the world.
From 2016 to 2020 Hainan welcomed about 352 million Chinese and foreign tourists.