At the risk of invoking major protests, I am proclaiming my choice of top 3 cities in China. My personal opinion is that these cities combine a mixture of old world charm, green city, modern amenities, good weather and friendly people.

My personal choice of top 3 livable Chinese cities
I am sure there will be major debate and reaction from this article. I am proclaiming my choice of the best 3 cities in China. And you will notice that Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are not in the list.

After studying the various factors into making what makes a great city to live in, my final choices are Xiamen, Qingdao and Dalian. The factors that goes into making the choice include: old world charm, new modern amenities, good housing facilities, green streets and countryside, efficient transport system, organized traffic, modern medical facilities, good weather, efficient public service and finally, friendly people.

You may ask why Shanghai or Beijing did not make the grade. Well, despite major improvements made in these cities, there is still a sense of overcrowded streets, traffic, housing and polluted air in these 2 large cities.

Xiamen
Xiamen, China's cleanest, most beautiful, seaport city, is located on the southeastern coast of Fujian Province. Xiamen City, as an administrative unit, can be dated back as far as the Song Dynasty. It has always been an important trading port, but since its establishment as one of China's first four Special Economic Zones in 1981, Xiamen has become a "window city" for China's opening to the outside world. It's one of the municipalities approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, being specially designated under separate state plan and enjoying provincial level of power in economic management. Today, Xiamen is a rapidly growing city, with a vigourous economy and a fully-modern infrastructure. Over the past 10 years, Xiamen has increasingly focused on the cultivation of international trade, education, and tourism.

Xiamen's economy is growing rapidly, and has become an increasingly popular site for foreign investors. An industrial structure composed of electronics, machinery, textile, foodstuff, chemical, pharmaceuticals and building materials industries has taken shape in the city, and is producing abundant world-advanced and domestic advanced products that are competitively priced and sell well all over the world. Compared with 1981, the total industrial output value in 1997 increased by 50.19 times.

Xiamen was recently voted China's cleanest city, and has many attractions for the foreign visitor. Xiamen and its surrounding countryside offers spectacular scenery and pleasant tree-lined beaches. Gulangyu, also known as Piano Island, is a popular, peaceful weekend getaway. Xiamen's Botanical Garden is a nature lover's paradise. And the Buddhist Nanputao Temple, dating back to the Tang Dynasty, is a national treasure.

Qingdao is perhaps most famously known for the Tsingtao Brewery, which German settlers founded in 1903, and which produces Tsingtao beer, now the most famous beer in China and known worldwide.
In 1984 the Chinese government named a district of Qingdao a Special Economic and Technology Development Zone (SETDZ). Along with this district, the entire city had gone through amazing development of secondary and tertiary industries. As an important trading port in the province, Qingdao flourishes with foreign investment and international trade. South Korea and Japan in particular made extensive investment in the city. At least 30,000 South Korean nationals reside there. Construction proceeds at a relatively fast pace in Qingdao.

By the end of 2002, Qingdao is estimated to be the home for more than 7 million inhabitants, of which around 2.6 million is residing in the Qingdao urban area. Another estimated 2.3 million reside in other cities under Qingdao's jurisdiction. The annual number of births is calculated around 82,000, with a birth rate of 11.26/1000 population, and a death rate of 6.93/1000 population, both calculated on an annual basis. This results to a 4.33/1000 population growth rate overall. Living standards are among the leading Chinese cities, with relatively high incomes for families.

Dalian is located west of the Yellow Sea (Korea Bay) and east of Bohai Sea roughly in the middle of the Liaodong/Liaotung peninsula at its narrowest neck or isthmus. With a coastline of 1,906 km, it governs the entire Liaodong Peninsula and about 260 surrounding islands and reefs. It is south-south-west of the Yalu River, and its harbor entrance forms a sub-Bay known as Dalian Bay.

Dalian has been given many benefits by the Chinese government, including the title of "open-city," (1984) which allows it considerable foreign investment (see Special Economic Zone).
In recent years, the city has become a major base for the outsourcing of Japanese-language businesses, such as call-centers. Japanese is widely spoken in the area, and many local people are familiar with Japanese customs and culture.

Beijing is also the tourist capital of China, boasting of favourite tourist sites such as :

Great Wall of China
Forbidden City
Summer Palace
Temple of Heaven
Ming tombs
Tiananmen Square.

Beijing will also be the host for the Summer Olympics in 2008. Already, Olympics fever has gripped the city as construction of new buildings, hotels and stadiums, sprucing of tourist facilities, cleaning up of air and water pollution takes on a fervent pace.

Qingdao
Qingdao is a bustling city located in Shandong province, in the North East of China. Qingdao will be the site for sailing events for the Summer Olympics as Beijing is not by the sea.

Qingdao city lies on undulating hills with luxuriantly green trees and buildings noted for their attractive architectural styles. The red colour of the tiled roves, green colour of the trees thills and blue of the sea contrast beautifully. All this along with its beautiful climate, make the city well-known as a summer and health resort.

The city occupies an area of 10 654 km2. The city is located in flatlands, with mountains spurring up nearby. The highest elevation in the area is 1133 m above sea level. The city has a 730.64-kilometer coastline. Five significant rivers that flow for more than 50 km can be found in the region.

Qingdao is estimated to be the home for more than 7 million inhabitants, of which around 2.6 million is residing in the Qingdao urban area.

Qingdao enjoys mild summers and relatively warm winters, with the average July temperature at 23.8°C and the average January temperature at -0.7°C. The city gets most rain in June and July, at an average of 150 mm.

Qingdao has very strong German influence in the 19th century and many German influenced buildings can still be seen. In fact, Qingdao beer is famous throughout the world, and every year, hundreds of thousands of people, both local and overseas gather in Qingdao for the annual Beer festival.

Qingdao attracts many tourists due to its seaside setting and excellent weather. Parks, beaches and sculpture -- as well as some unique architecture -- line the shore. Qingdao's major attractions include:

* Ba Da Guan, the older area of town with some surviving German architecture.
* Laoshan, a famous Taoist mountain.
* Lu Xun Park, named after Lu Xun, a famous modern Chinese writer.
* Qingdao Beer Museum, on the site of the old brewery.
* Qingdao Naval Museum
* Qingdao International Beer City, the primary site of the annual Qingdao International Beer Festival.
* Qingdao Underwater World
* St. Michael's Cathedral, a Gothic/Roman cathedral designed by German architect Pepieruch, completed in 1934.
* Zhan Qiao (Zhan Pier)
* Zhanshan Temple, Qingdao's only Buddhist temple.

Qingdao has such nice weather and scenary that the China ruling party has a large rest and retirement santuary in Qingdao for it's retired cadres.