A countdown clock marks the number of days till the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 at Wulin Square in downtown Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Monday. XIAO DA/CHINA DAILY

Shanghai recorded the strongest GDP in the first half of this year, followed by Beijing and Shenzhen, according to CCTV.

Some cities saw changes in rankings after the COVID-19 epidemic, with Chongqing moving to the fourth spot and Nanjing entering the top 10 for the first time to take the ninth spot.

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, ranked 8th on the list.