Gulin, China

Capital City

Gulin County sits deep in Sichuan's southern mountains, a rural administrative zone where life moves at the pace of rice paddies and tea terraces. The 2020 census counted just 651,958 people across its 3,184 km²—density so low you'll need Mandarin or local Yi dialect to navigate daily errands. This is China's hinterland: expect zero expat infrastructure, spotty hospital access beyond Luzhou city's jurisdiction, and winters where damp cold seeps through uninsulated concrete walls.

Retirees chasing postcard rice fields can find them here, but the tradeoffs are stark. That 9.3 million population figure? That's for all of Luzhou prefecture—Gulin itself feels remote. Digital nomads will hit bandwidth walls outside the county seat. Budgets stretch far on local wages, but you'll pay in isolation and bureaucratic hurdles for residency permits.