Hulunbuir, China

This remote, sprawling region is not for the faint of heart. With a population of just 2,242,875 spread across an area larger than all but 8 Chinese provinces, the average density is painfully low. The brutal winters and bureaucratic headaches are a persistent challenge, while the summer's warm, wet conditions provide little respite. Hulunbuir is truly a frontier outpost, best suited for those seeking a rugged, isolated existence far from the comforts of urban life.