Xuyong, China

Coal extraction and mineral processing have dominated Xuyong's economy for over a century, and that hasn't changed much. The county sits on significant coal reserves, and mining operations — along with related logistics and processing — employ a substantial portion of the local workforce. Timber and forestry add a secondary layer, and agriculture (rice, corn, tobacco) fills in the rural economy. There is no meaningful expat job market here. Remote workers are theoretically possible, but reliable high-speed internet is inconsistent outside the main town.

Rent in Xuyong Town runs roughly ¥600–1,200/month ($85–170 USD) for a basic apartment, making it genuinely cheap by any standard. Local food costs almost nothing — a full meal at a street stall is ¥10–15. Healthcare is limited to county-level hospitals; anything serious means a 2–3 hour drive to Luzhou. Mandarin is the baseline, but many locals speak Sichuan dialect heavily, and English is essentially nonexistent. Bureaucracy for foreign residents is real friction — registering your address and renewing visas requires trips to Luzhou.

Summers are warm and humid with heavy monsoon rainfall; winters are mild but grey and damp rather than cold. The surrounding mountains are genuinely beautiful and accessible for hiking. Miao and Yi minority festivals — particularly torch festivals and harvest celebrations — are the cultural highlights and worth being present for. The expat community is effectively zero; you will be a curiosity, not part of a network. This city suits one type of person: a Mandarin-speaking researcher, writer, or remote worker who wants extreme affordability and genuine cultural immersion with zero expat infrastructure.