Happiness runs lowest among China's most developed metropolises, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, while less dashing regions like Sichuan and Chongqing enjoy the highest, according to a survey cited by China News Service.

The survey cited skyrocketing property price as a possible reason. The country's real estate industry basked in rare prosperity in 2009, a recovery year from the financial crisis.

Behind the booming mirage are clusters of distressed urbanites grieving over the daily headache of housing, a necessity but largely unaffordable luxury. For those who actually bought a home in fear of further soaring property prices, the coveted fortune in their hand was jested as a "house arrest" as they have to burden years of bank loans, even decades.

Health, passion, wealth, family responsibility and social context are believed to be the most important factors of happiness, said the survey based on over 100,000 questionnaires, nearly half of which were content with their status quo.

The two-month long survey was carried out in 35 cities by Manulife-Sinochem, a joint-venture life insurance company based in Shanghai.

(chinadaily.com.cn February 6, 2010)