The brilliant blue sky and sea present a stunning coastal view in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/Guanhai News]

Qingdao has been named one of China's most livable cities for 2025 in the provincial capital and separately listed city category, marking its sixth consecutive year on the list.

A stable economy and strong industrial development underpin urban well-being. Qingdao has developed a "10+1" innovation-driven industrial system, focusing on next-generation information technology and artificial intelligence, while improving traditional sectors like smart home appliances and investing in future industries such as terahertz technology.

Today, 93 percent of Qingdao's industrial enterprises have R&D facilities, and 94.6 percent have completed digital transformation. Notably, one in ten mobile phone display modules globally comes from Qingdao's BOE facility, and Chery's Qingdao plant outputs a customized car every minute, supporting over 400 local suppliers.

These industries create ample employment opportunities. From January to August 2024, the city added 254,000 urban jobs, ranking among the top in Shandong province.

Qingdao also emphasizes education, healthcare, and ecological sustainability. Since 2021, 277 kindergartens and schools have been built or renovated, adding 250,000 student spaces, with all schools set up as smart campuses.

The city's multi-level healthcare system includes improved basic medical insurance and a comprehensive long-term care program covering nearly 900 institutions and over 60,000 residents.

Environmentally, Qingdao maintains excellent coastal water quality at 99 percent and a 100 percent safe utilization rate for key construction land. With 84 national green manufacturing enterprises and over 60 percent of energy capacity from renewable sources, the city continues to focus on livability through ecological restoration—transforming abandoned mines into green spaces—ensuring residents have access to blue skies, green parks, and coastal areas.