In the recently announced results of the 2024 Happiest City survey, Tianhe district of Guangzhou was awarded the title of the 2024 Happiest District, marking the fifth time it's received this prestigious title.

Established in 1985, Tianhe covers an area of about 137 square kilometers with a permanent resident population of 2.22 million. In 2023, the district generated total GDP of 655.13 billion yuan ($91.24 billion), ranking it first in Guangzhou for the 17th consecutive year.

Tianhe now towers into the sky with its impressive high-rise buildings. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

Tianhe is said to have fostered an exceptional business environment that attracts a multitude of business entities to establish roots within its boundaries. It's home to 607,000 companies, accounting for 26.2 percent of Guangzhou's total.

The district boasts a formidable concentration of innovative resources, including 26 higher education institutions, half of the "Double First-Class" universities in Guangdong province, 43 research institutions at the provincial or ministerial level, 10 national key laboratories, and 47 academicians.

It also hosts a vibrant community of innovative entities, with over 143,000 tech companies, more than 4,000 national tech-based small and medium-sized enterprises, and over 2,000 high-tech ones.

Its innovative ecosystem thrives with the presence of 61 national and provincial-level incubators and maker spaces – fostering a collaborative environment for growth and development.

The picturesque South China National Botanical Garden in Tianhe. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

Tianhe's picturesque landscape, characterized by its harmonious blend of mountains and water bodies, features a 78.6-percent coverage of park greenery within a 500-meter service radius, a forest coverage rate of 23.7 percent, and a built-up area green coverage rate of 42.4 percent.

Forty-five new primary and secondary schools and kindergartens have been opened over the past five years, adding over 40,000 places for students.

The newly built healthcare facilities – such as the Sun Yat-sen University Medical Oncology Scientific Center – are said to have contributed to an increase in the average life expectancy there of 83.23 years.