Suyangshan, China

With a population of over 1.4 million, Pizhou is a sprawling county-level city that offers little to tempt the average expat. The area is relatively impoverished compared to the rest of Jiangsu Province, and bureaucracy is a persistent headache - as evidenced by the city's unprecedented mobilization to greet a Party delegate in 2007. While Pizhou does boast the world's longest Dawn redwood avenue, the local climate is unremarkable. This gritty industrial hub is best suited for those seeking an authentic, unvarnished slice of Chinese provincial life, rather than an overseas haven.