Qingnian, China

With a population of just 110,046, Qingnian is a small, provincial outpost where the bureaucratic machinery of China's Communist Party exerts a heavy hand. The official newspaper of the Communist Youth League has occasionally published articles critical of the government, hinting at the persistent headaches that come with navigating the country's rigid political apparatus. While the city won a national award in 2018, the temporary shutdown of its liberal-leaning weekly supplement suggests dissent is not easily tolerated. Overall, Qingnian offers little to attract the average foreign resident seeking to sidestep China's stifling political environment.