Hangzhou's the place to retire
By Lydia Chen |
September 3, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE natural beauty and easy lifestyle of Hangzhou in east China has made it the place many Chinese people would like to retire to, according to a survey.
Shanghai was considered the city with the best quality of life, social welfare and service standards.
In a survey of 1,000 people, Fortune China magazine found that Hangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao, Dalian and Sanya were the top five places where people would like to live after they retire.
However, the appearance of Dalian on the list caused controversy. The city, which was also on last year's list of desirable retirement spots, has suffered a couple of environmental scandals that have compromised the beauty of the coastal city.
Comments on Fortune China's website expressed surprise that Dalian could stay in the top five while others questioned whether it was really true that Dalian's senior citizens were among the most contented in the country.
The government of Dalian last month had to shut down a chemical plant after thousands of residents took to streets to protest its environmental threat.
The city was also polluted by 11,227 tons of crude oil spilled in a pipeline blast on July 16.
The date of the survey on people's retirement plans, however, goes someway to explaining the result. It was conducted in 70 mainland cities from May 23 to June 21, before the pollution problems. Taken today, it might have been a different story.
Dalian, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao and Suzhou were considered by respondents as places where people would feel most contented with their lives, the survey found.
The survey asked for people's views on quality of life, social welfare standards, the natural and cultural environment, standards of service and level of contentedness.
Hangzhou, which ranked second after Qingdao in last year's survey for its history and natural beauty, went one better in this year's survey.
The provincial capital of Zhejiang was praised as a city where urban construction and natural resources were thought most harmonious while its cultural environment also placed it among the top five cities.
In terms of quality of life, meanwhile, Shanghai was ahead of Hangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu and Qingdao, while it also won votes for the level of its social welfare and general service standards.
Retirees in Shanghai receive an average pension of about 2,000 yuan (US$313) a month, compared to Beijing's average of 2,268 yuan.
Meanwhile, about 54 percent of the respondents said they would consider spending their retirement overseas. Australia, Canada and New Zealand were the most favored destinations.
Shanghai was considered the city with the best quality of life, social welfare and service standards.
In a survey of 1,000 people, Fortune China magazine found that Hangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao, Dalian and Sanya were the top five places where people would like to live after they retire.
However, the appearance of Dalian on the list caused controversy. The city, which was also on last year's list of desirable retirement spots, has suffered a couple of environmental scandals that have compromised the beauty of the coastal city.
Comments on Fortune China's website expressed surprise that Dalian could stay in the top five while others questioned whether it was really true that Dalian's senior citizens were among the most contented in the country.
The government of Dalian last month had to shut down a chemical plant after thousands of residents took to streets to protest its environmental threat.
The city was also polluted by 11,227 tons of crude oil spilled in a pipeline blast on July 16.
The date of the survey on people's retirement plans, however, goes someway to explaining the result. It was conducted in 70 mainland cities from May 23 to June 21, before the pollution problems. Taken today, it might have been a different story.
Dalian, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao and Suzhou were considered by respondents as places where people would feel most contented with their lives, the survey found.
The survey asked for people's views on quality of life, social welfare standards, the natural and cultural environment, standards of service and level of contentedness.
Hangzhou, which ranked second after Qingdao in last year's survey for its history and natural beauty, went one better in this year's survey.
The provincial capital of Zhejiang was praised as a city where urban construction and natural resources were thought most harmonious while its cultural environment also placed it among the top five cities.
In terms of quality of life, meanwhile, Shanghai was ahead of Hangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu and Qingdao, while it also won votes for the level of its social welfare and general service standards.
Retirees in Shanghai receive an average pension of about 2,000 yuan (US$313) a month, compared to Beijing's average of 2,268 yuan.
Meanwhile, about 54 percent of the respondents said they would consider spending their retirement overseas. Australia, Canada and New Zealand were the most favored destinations.
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