Huizhou is the most beautiful city in mainland China and three other Pearl River Delta cities are in the top 20, according to the list of China’s most beautiful cities of 2013 which was compiled by Hong Kong-based non-governmental organization The China City Competitiveness Council, QQ News reports.

Huizhou was second overall in Greater China behind Hong Kong, Zhuhai was fourth, Zhaoqing was ninth and Shenzhen was eleventh.

The standards by which the “beauty” of a city was measured included the quality of urban planning, infrastructure, architecture, and of course the natural environment.

The top 20 is listed as follows:

1. Hong Kong
2. Huizhou
3. Qingdao, Shandong Province
4. Zhuhai
5. Xinyang, Henan Province
6. Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province
7. Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province
8. Liaocheng, Shandong Province
9. Zhaoqing
10. Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
11. Shenzhen
12. Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
13. Dalian, Liaoning Province
14. Harbin, Heilongjiang Province
15. Taichung, Taiwan
16. Kunming, Yunnan Province
17. Yantai, Shandong Province
18. Lhasa, Tibet
19. Guiyang, Guizhou Province
20. Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Huizhou also came a very respectable third in the list of China’s happiest cities published last month.

Shenzhen was the highest placed first tier city on the list, which is consolation for being named among the 20 least friendly cities in the world recently.