Tangjiazhuang, China

With a population of just over 53,000, Tangjiazhuang is a modest, unassuming subdistrict in the shadow of the larger city of Tangshan. The numbers tell a story of gradual decline, with the population falling from around 60,000 in 2000 to under 53,000 in the 2010 census. Bureaucratic headaches are a persistent reality, as evidenced by the recent redrawing of community boundaries. For those seeking a quiet, low-key existence away from the frenetic pace of China's megacities, Tangjiazhuang may be worth a look. But it's hardly a destination that will set pulses racing.