Hangzhou, the city with both a splendid natural scenery and a pleasant climate, claimed, for the third time, the first spot on an annual list of the county's best places for retirement, according to 2013 list released recently by the Chinese edition of Fortune magazine.

The survey started on May 18 and the magazine collected 1,038 valid questionnaires from 25,000 senior executives until June 18. It covers 50 cities of China and features eight grading indexes, which take into consideration quality of life, social welfare, harmony between urban and the natural landscape, cultural atmosphere, service provision and healthcare and housing for retirees.

The ranking suggests that when they retire, instead of residing in the prosperous cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, people look forward to leading a simple and traditional life in the country's second-tier cities. Besides, following the fast development of public welfare, medical facilities and related services, as well as their amazing scenery, these cities will attract more and more elite to retire.

The ratio of people who had plans to spend their life after retirement in another country was 57 percent, down by 5 percent compared to last year's nearly 62 percent. However, they still list Australia, Canada and New Zealand as their top three destinations.

Following are the five Chinese cities Fortune China finds most suitable for retirees:

  Xiamen

Grade 1 air quality:174 days a year

Median home price:16,740 yuan/per square meter

Located on China's southeast coast, Xiamen has been a major seaport since ancient times. It is the first time that Xiamen was chosen as one of the best cities for retirement as it is one of the forerunners of China's special economic zones. The city was ranked as China's second "most suitable city for living" in 2006, as well as China's "most romantic leisure city" in 2011.