Xi'an among top 10 new-first tier cities in China

Chinese financial media outlet China Business Network released its 2020 ranking of Chinese cities based on their business attractiveness in May, with Chengdu topping the list of new-first tier cities, followed by Chongqing, Hangzhou, Wuhan and Xi'an.

The 15 cities, comprised of an overwhelming number of southern Chinese metropolises, were evaluated on five dimensions – concentration of commercial resources, the city as a hub, urban residential activity, lifestyle diversity and future potential.

Chengdu, with its GDP surging 7.8 percent year-on-year to 1.7 trillion yuan in 2019, has won the first spot for six consecutive years since 2013. In recent years, the city sees an increasing number of CBDs, offline stores, transportation infrastructure facilities and entertainment spots.

Among the 337 Chinese cities surveyed, traditional first-tier cities remain unchanged; including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but the list of new first-tier cities witnessed two newcomers, Hefei in Anhui province and Foshan in Guangdong province.

However, Kunming in Yunnan province and Ningbo in Zhejiang province were overtaken, falling into the second tier.

Let's see the top 10 new first-tier cities in China.

No 10 Changsha

People wearing face masks read at Lezhi bookshop in Tianxin District of Changsha, Central China's Hunan province, on Feb 26, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 9 Zhengzhou]

Couples pose for wedding photos in a field of pink grass at Longhu wetland park in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, on Oct 23, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 8 Nanjing

People visit the imperial Xiaoling Mausoleum, the burial site of the Ming Dynasty's (1368-1644) founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, on Nov 5, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 7 Suzhou

Visitors view lotus flowers at the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on June 28, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 6 Tianjin

A man flies a kite in the Xiqing district of Tianjin on April 25, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 5 Xi'an

A view of a commercial street near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda scenic spot in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province on April 23, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 4 Wuhan

The lighted Yellow Crane Tower, or Huanghelou, a landmark in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province on April 13, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 3 Hangzhou

People visit intangible cultural heritage museums at Pingyao ancient street in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on June 6, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 2 Chongqing

A view of Southwest China's Chongqing on May 6, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

No 1 Chengdu

People shop at a night market in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, on June 4, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]