Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Qingdao is considered one of the most livable cities in China. It also scored highest for tourists' satisfaction during the third quarter of 2014, among 60 major tourism cities in China being surveyed. [Photo/China.org.cn]

A report published by China Tourism Academy showed that Qingdao scored highest for tourists' satisfaction during the third quarter of 2014, among 60 major tourism cities in China being surveyed.

Qingdao, the coastal city in East China's Shandong province, scored 81.19 on a scale of 0 to 100. The assessment was conducted through a survey among tourists, and other methods, such as feedback from the Internet, the number of tourism complaints, and investigation of quality control.

According to the academy, cities with the highest satisfaction index should have abundant tourism resources, comprehensive functions and satisfying services and the rated items cover service of the scenic spots and agencies, public service and city environment.

This was the first time for Qingdao to stand out in the regular survey by the China Tourism Academy. The city ranked 14th and 10th for the first and second quarters of this year.

Major tourism cities unsurprisingly filled the first 10 places, with Beijing ranked ninth with a score of 77.81. The result saw cities in Midwest China slightly lagging behind, with Hefei (69.95), Lijiang (69.41), Lhasa (66.95), Yinchuan (66.04) and Lanzhou (65.34) taking the last five spots.

Here is the list of the top 10:

1. Qingdao (81.19)

2. Hangzhou (79.39)

3. Suzhou (79.18)

4. Chongqing (79.14)

5. Ningbo (79.09)

6. Huangshan (78.88)

7. Chengdu (78.76)

8. Shanghai (78.10)

9. Beijing( 77.81)

10. Wuxi (77.77 )