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CHENGDU, Sichuan: It is a chilly afternoon in Chengdu, and one of its most popular parks is anything but still.<\/p>\n
At the Heming Tea House, located in the heart of the city\u2019s sprawling People\u2019s Park, crowds of visitors – from elderly residents, couples and students to influencers and tourists – are huddling over cups of steaming \u201ckungfu tea\u201d.<\/p>\n
The process itself is part art, part acrobatics – servers tip traditional long spout teapots with precision and grace, sending thin ribbons of hot tea through the air into waiting cups, without spilling a single drop.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere in the park, teenagers in elaborate cosplay pose among fields of chrysanthemum flowers while elders practise slow ballroom steps to nostalgic Mandarin songs.<\/p>\n
Every now and then, a high-pitched \u201cding\u201d sound rings through the courtyard as an ear cleaner weaves between bamboo chairs, tending to bemused customers with fluffy cotton swabs fixed to slender metal rods.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And those scenes stretch far beyond the park.<\/p>\n
Rich in culture and famed for its slower pace of life, Chengdu<\/a>, the capital of Sichuan, has long been known as one of China\u2019s \u201chappiest cities\u201d.<\/p>\n It has made the list for 16 consecutive years in an annual poll published by Oriental Outlook, a Shanghai-based magazine affiliated with the Xinhua state news agency. This year’s list is set to be released by year’s end.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s long-running streak reflects a \u201ccombination of hard and soft power\u201d, wrote Dai Wenming, the magazine\u2019s deputy editor for politics and culture, and also a spokesperson for the Happiness Cities Forum.<\/p>\n The poll examined indicators like average income, daily living as well as functionality and accessibility of public services.<\/p>\n Leisure is one of Chengdu\u2019s biggest draws, said Zhang Keyun, a professor at Renmin University\u2019s School of Applied Economics.<\/p>\n And beneath the city\u2019s chilled-out exterior is an economy that has been rising steadily, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond its food and culture<\/a>, the city\u2019s environment is also very good. Chengdu\u2019s cultural exports, tourism and related industries are all highly developed,\u201d Zhang told CNA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n