LONDON DEC. 5 (People's Daily Online)—— The City of London has been voted the best area in England for arts and culture, according to the 2016 RSA Heritage Index.

The City of London, which is also colloquially known as the Square Mile, beat two other local authorities in London – Kensington & Chelsea (second place) and Westminster (third place) to the top slot.

The poll by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce is produced in collaboration with the Heritage Lottery Fund to reveal which areas are best at using heritage to foster a distinctive identity. The annual index combines over 120 metrics - from historic buildings to local delicacies – and also measures new forms of heritage activity, such as community initiatives and volunteering, to come up with its results.

Vivienne Littlechild, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, said:

“I am absolutely delighted to hear that the City of London has been given top place in the RSA Heritage Index for England and essentially, it confirms our firm belief that the Square Mile’s cultural hub is one of our greatest assets. From Guildhall Art Gallery and the Barbican Centre to the Museum of London and the Guildhall School, the City of London has now become a top visitor attraction for people who take their arts and culture seriously, as well as being a global business centre.”

The City of London Corporation invests £80m every year in heritage and cultural activities of all kinds. It is the UK’s largest funder of culture after the UK government, the BBC, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. (Bai Tianxing)