Beijing beautiful, HK safe - study

Beijing is the most beautiful city in China and Hong Kong the safest and second most beautiful, according to a study by the China Institute of City Competitiveness.

The capital came in ahead of 558 other mainland cities and the two SARs, with a score of 0.756 points out of one for its impressive historical monuments and tourist attractions.

Gui Qiangfang, the institute’s chairman, said: "The capital has a rich history and culture, which have been key to its development."

The assessment took into consideration the cities’ urban design, infrastructure, architecture, culture and natural beauty.

Factors including the preservation of historical monuments, forest coverage, air quality, the transportation network, city life, public space and GDP were also considered.

Hong Kong, which ranked second with 0.666 points, won praise for its skyscrapers, Victoria Harbor and the development of its service industry.

Shenzhen took third spot with 0.664 points, scoring highly for its role as the pioneer of China’s opening up and reform policies.

Shanghai finished fourth with 0.663 points for being the country’s financial center.

In the voting for the safest city, which assessed the social, economic and ecological development, Hong Kong came first with 0.849 points.

In this category, the cities’ crime rates, stability of financial policies, authority of the government, industrial accident rate, food safety and pollution situation, were considered.

The institute said Hong Kong had low crime, and the number of work-related casualties is only 18.4 per 1,000 workers last year.

The SAR also attracted $42.7 billion foreign investment last year, up 19 percent on 2005.

Shanghai ranked second in the safe city poll with 0.712 points, followed by Nanjing with 0.666 points.

The institute said Shanghai is developing a harmonious society ahead of the 2010 World Expo.

(China Daily) 据中国城市竞争力研究会的一项调查，北京被评为中国最美丽的城市；香港名列第二，并被评为全国最安全的城市。

首都北京的历史古迹和旅游景点令人印象深刻，因此以0.756分（总分为1分）位居558个内地城市及两个特别行政区之首。

中国城市竞争力研究会会长桂强芳说：“北京悠久的历史和深厚的文化底蕴对它的发展至关重要。”

该评估综合考虑了城市的规划设计、基础设施、建筑风格、文化底蕴和自然景观等因素。

此外，历史古迹的保护、森林覆盖率、空气质量、市政交通、城市生活、公共空间、及GDP等因素也被考虑在内。