The only thing you can find online is usually catering to rich western tourists or “expats” and usually boils down to “Which place is the most western/ High GDP and McDonalds!” so I’d rather get an opinion from someone that’s been there that isn’t a business tourist.
Chinese people I’ve heard from generally say 昆明 (kunming) is the best place to live, at least from a natural scenery and weather perspective. Here’s a map, where 昆明 is outlined in the 四季如春 (four seasons as spring) area, meaning the weather year-round is like spring. Beyond the climate, 云南 (yunnan), where 昆明 is located, is a mountainous province that is also a biodiversity hotspot. There’s bountiful microclimates and many local cultures as well. Definitely not a “Max GDP” sort of place, but the other factors are incredibly good.
top place i want to visit in china for sure! seems so unique
here’s a video with english subs to explain why 云南 is so special. here’s another video that’s more about 昆明 tourism
seconded. lived there for a bit and it’s great.
pretty small for a capital. downtown area is all within walking distance, but there’s also a huge new urban area south towards the lake. climate is great though summers are a bit cold and wet for my taste (rain and thunder every day andtemps of like 23).
used to have a lot of hippie/hipster white people but last time i visited they were mostly gone which is fine. Sal bought the french bakery so now there’s three or four Salvador restaurants in that area. oh and the cool little used bookshop is gone.
west mountain is cool but i never went to shilin, heard it’s boring.
ha, cumming
Broke:
Woke:
