9. Tianjin
Population: 15.60 million
Area: 11,760 square kilometers
One of only four municipality-level cities in China, the historic city of Tianjin may appear to be in the shadow of its nearby neighbor Beijing, however, it has a completely different charm for migrants.
The population of Tianjin has grown to over 15 million people and has a GDP of around 1.9 trillion yuan. In recent years, it has been developing its tourism and high-tech industries by constructing the Binhai New Area, as well as a high-speed intercity railway connecting it to the capital in just 30 minutes.