30 most beautiful counties in China

The photo taken in 2012 shows tourists are boating at the Yulong River in Yangshuo county, Guangxi province. [Photo/chinanews.com]

The China Institute of City Competitiveness (CICC) released a list of the 30 most beautiful counties in China for the year 2014, with Yangshuo in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region topping the list.

The 30 counties are credited for their excellence in planning and design, historical landscape, good maintenance of ancient sites, rich cultural heritage, beautiful natural scenery and the reputation of its service among the public. The CCIC committee also used 85 indicators of three levels in the comprehensive selection process.

Here is the full list:

1. Yangshuo county, Guangxi

2. Fenghuang Ancient Town, Hunan

3. Tonglu county, Zhejiang

4. Wuyuan county, Jiangxi

5. Jiangzi county, Tibet

6. Daocheng county, Sichuan

7. Dunhuang county, Gansu

8. Buerjin county, Xinjiang

9. Libo county, Guizhou

10. Xunyang county, Shaanxi

11. Taining county, Fujian

12. Shou county, Anhui

13. Dapu county, Guangdong

14. Jianshui county, Yunnan

15. Pingyao county, Shanxi

16. Zhongxiang county, Hubei

17. Penglai county, Shandong

18. Siyang county, Jiangsu

19. Tengchong county, Yunnan

20. Suifenhe city, Heilong Jiang

21. Tongren county, Qinghai

22. Linjiang county, Jilin

23. Xinglong county, Hebei

24. Xinbin county, Liaoning

25. Yanqing county, Beijing

26. Weishan county, Yunnan

27. Anxi county, Fujian

28. Kangding county, Sichuan

29. Shangcheng county, Henan

30. Duolun county, Inner Mongolia