Beiliu, China

With a population of 1.2 million, this county-level city in southeast Guangxi is no quaint rural retreat. The administrative bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with 3 subdistricts and 22 towns to navigate. And the local climate data is conspicuously absent, leaving one to wonder about the weather extremes.

The economy, at least, has a bright spot in Guangxi Sanhuan, a major ceramics manufacturer headquartered here. But overall, Beiliu feels like a sprawling, unglamorous industrial hub - not the stuff of retirement dreams or Instagram travel influencers. Unless you're drawn to factory work or bureaucratic red tape, this is likely not the China relocation spot for you.