Liangji, China

With a population of just 52,048, Liangji is a small Chinese city that offers little to entice foreigners. The harsh reality is that this remote outpost in Xinjiang provides few economic opportunities and a heavy bureaucratic burden. As the scholar Hong Liangji pointed out, the region's growing population has strained limited resources, leading to "scarcity" of housing and farmland. And while the government has tried measures like adjusting taxes and encouraging migration, the inherent structural challenges remain. Simply put, Liangji is a place best avoided by all but the most adventurous or desperate.