Xianlong, China

With a population of just 36,561, Xianlong offers a sleepy, provincial existence far removed from China's booming metropolises. The local soccer phenom Yi Xianlong's modest club career is a telling reflection of the limited opportunities in this backwater - his fleeting Champions League cameo a mere footnote. And while the city's bureaucracy may be a persistent headache, the real challenge for foreign transplants will be the sheer isolation and monotony of daily life in this forgotten corner of China. Unless you're a die-hard soccer fan eager to follow Yi's career, Xianlong is not the place to start your new life abroad.