Zhoukou, China

With a population of over 9 million, Zhoukou is a massive, sprawling metropolis in eastern China. The city's transportation advantages, touted as a "Central Plains Port City," have diminished in recent decades as railways and roads have overtaken the once-vital inland waterways. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the administration juggles 2 districts, 1 county-level city, and 7 counties. While Zhoukou boasts a long, storied history as the birthplace of philosophical figures like Laozi, the city's rapid modernization has come at the cost of cultural charm. Those seeking an authentic, small-town Chinese experience would be better off looking elsewhere.