In fact, it is hard to say whether it is "good". There are different standards, different viewpoints and different answers. The key is to determine a standard of evaluation first. I have worked for eight years and traveled in major cities all over the country (not bragging, 100 more than prefecture-level cities). I have some ideas, too. Let's write them out and see if they are right.
A city is good or not, I think it can be seen from these aspects: climate, living environment, living facilities, living costs, transportation, public security, career development potential, income level, humanistic environment, catering and entertainment.
Climatically, most parts of northern China (north of Huaihe River) are not very good. The main reasons are either severe cold in winter (northeast), drought and water shortage, and sandstorms are prone to occur in winter and spring. /kloc-0 experienced it once when I was in Beijing in 1999. It's really scary. I follow the sand. Moreover, the cities in the Jianghuai valley are also very cold in winter (without heating), which is very sad. So as far as the climate is concerned, the cities in the south are more pleasant, not cold in winter, and not very hot in summer because of the subtropical high moving northward. My feeling is that the climate in Xiamen and Zhuhai is the best in China. Among other coastal cities, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo are too cold in winter. Although Qingdao and Dalian have heating, it is too humid in winter and very cold outside. Among inland cities, Chengdu has a better climate. Although the climate in Kunming is good, it is too dry because it is located on the plateau, which is very unfavorable to human skin.
As far as living environment is concerned, big cities are usually inferior to small and medium-sized cities. Because of the high land price and small space between buildings, the comfort of living in big cities is limited, and the greening degree of big cities is usually low, which is not as good as that of small and medium-sized cities, or even as good as that of several famous garden cities in China. The air pollution in inland cities is very serious, including Wuhan, Xi and Chengdu. When there is no strong wind, the sky is always gray, and there is no blue sky and white clouds. Personally, I think the living environment in Hangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan and Xiamen is the best in China.
Living facilities in big cities are generally better than those in small and medium-sized cities. The urban living facilities in the Yangtze River Delta are the most formal and complete. Personally, I think Shanghai should be regarded as the best in the country. The living facilities in Guangzhou and Shenzhen are also complete, but the formality is poor and there are many swindlers (shops). Inland and northern cities still have a lot of room for growth in this area, and there are many business opportunities in this area.
Of course, the cost of living in small cities is very low. From a regional perspective, the cost of living in the Yangtze River Delta is the highest in China, mainly due to high housing prices. Needless to say, Shanghai ranks first in the country, and housing prices in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Suzhou are also very high, which has raised the overall cost of living. Food and clothing are basically the same in coastal cities, but lower in inland cities. The travel cost in Shenzhen and Shanghai is very high, mainly referring to the taxi price, and there is little difference between buses. It is worth noting that although the starting price of taxis in Wuhan is low, the actual cost is not low because of the large city, which is relatively high in inland cities.
In terms of transportation, the big cities as a whole are very poor, and the traffic jams are similar, especially in Beijing and Shanghai. In Beijing, even if there are private cars, traffic is still a big problem. The Second Ring Road and the Third Ring Road are nothing more than open-air parking lots. The same is true of the inner ring of Shanghai. Shenzhen and Guangzhou are slightly better. With the popularity of private cars in the past two years, small and medium-sized cities have also begun to fall into traffic jams. However, the low level of traffic management in some cities is also an important reason for traffic jams, such as Kunming. The city is small and there are few cars, but the traffic jam is serious, which is the reason for the low level of management. Speaking of private cars, by the way, private car licenses in Shanghai have always been auctioned. Although law enforcers violate the law, they are really helpless in China. I heard that Beijing seems to be learning from Shanghai, but I don't know if it's true or not. I would never buy a car in this temporary place anyway.
Police: Shanghai! It is definitely the second best in China, after Hongkong. When I am on a business trip in many cities, I will encounter kindness to advise me not to go out alone at night to avoid accidents. No matter how late you go out alone in Shanghai at night, you will be fine. Some cities in the Yangtze River Delta have good public security, such as Hangzhou and Suzhou. Not to mention the public security in Guangdong, and Beijing is not very good, although there are many policemen.
Career development potential: Shenzhen and Shanghai. Both have their own advantages: Shanghai is more suitable for step-by-step people, white-collar-gold collar-executives or self-employed; Shenzhen Stock Exchange is more suitable for white-collar workers who want to develop by leaps and bounds-starting their own businesses. However, in the past two years, I always feel that the policy advantages of Shenzhen are getting smaller and smaller, and the obstacles caused by the lack of cultural heritage are getting bigger and bigger, mainly because the government's ruling level is very low. In the past, it was stronger than Shanghai with strong policy advantages, but now it may have been reversed. The problem in Shanghai is that the cost of living is too high, so even if you work and start a business, the cost of starting a business will be much higher. Ningbo, Suzhou and Wuxi in the Yangtze River Delta in the future; Tianjin and Dalian in Bohai Bay, and Xi and Chengdu inland are all places with great career development potential. There is only Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta, and other places are almost the same.
Income level: Shenzhen is the highest! There is no doubt about it. This refers to the per capita income level, not whose. If individuals, down brothers in Xinjiang and Yang Bin in Dalian, are taller than 99.99% people in the jar and Beijing and Shanghai! The highest in Shenzhen is due to the population structure. Most immigrants in that city are young people. Of course it is high. Speaking of the average income level of white-collar workers, I personally think that Shanghai is relatively high, because there are more white-collar workers in Shanghai, and the overall quality is not worse than Beijing, but better than Shenzhen. Coupled with the high salary level in Shanghai, it has caused the current result.
Humanistic environment: Beijing is much stronger than Shanghai and Shenzhen. But I personally think that Xi's cultural tradition is better than Beijing's. Beijing's cultural heritage is deep, but it is mixed with a lot of decadent Manchu flavor; Xi truly embodies the hero's Chinese culture.
Dining and Entertainment: I admire Chengdu the most! Although the food in Chengdu is not so exquisite, Chengdu is definitely a good place for entertainment and leisure, perhaps it is too leisure, so there are lazy people everywhere, and people are not educated. However, I like it and will come there to support the elderly!
On the whole. . . . It is impossible to synthesize, and it is hard to say which city is the best. I hope to live in Hangzhou or Xiamen now, but I want to make money in Shanghai. I like museums in Beijing and Xi best, but the climate there really makes me a little unacceptable. I like Chengdu snacks best, but they are too leisurely and only suitable for the elderly! There are so many beautiful women in Chongqing and Dalian that they attract people's attention, but I already have a girlfriend! Ha ha. Contradictory, but normal, the world is not perfect, which is the dialectical unity of the world.