Ningyang, China

With a population of just under 83,000, Ningyang is hardly the sprawling metropolis many Americans imagine when they dream of moving to China. The reality is a small, rather isolated town where bureaucratic headaches and public safety issues are persistent concerns. Two days before a deadly kindergarten attack that left 12 children dead, the young assailant had terrorized a local farmer and taken a young boy hostage, underscoring the fragile security situation. For those seeking the peace and quiet of rural China, Ningyang may fit the bill, but the trade-offs in terms of infrastructure and personal safety are not to be taken lightly.