Your City Match: Beijing

  Population: 21.7 million

  Average Wage: $19,119/year

  Air Quality Index: 164 (Unhealthy)

  Migrant Percentage: 36.6%

As the capital of modern China and five imperial dynasties, Beijing is the bridge between China’s tumultuous past and its reemergence today as a global power. In addition to being the political epicenter of China, the city is the home base of virtually all central state-owned enterprises as well as the headquarters of major multinationals. Replete with top universities, such as Tsinghua University and Peking University, the city boasts one of the highest educated populations in the country. It’s as if Washington, DC and Boston were combined into a single city, except several orders of magnitude larger in size.

For a political capital, Beijing is not nearly as straight laced as one would imagine. The city has a vibrant contemporary arts and underground music scene, as well as traditional Chinese culture like the Peking Opera. For history buffs, the Chinese capital has many sites on visitors’ bucket lists, such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Summer Palace. Its poor air quality, however, has received global attention, though the government has deployed significant resources to remedy the situation. The combination of economic and educational opportunities, as well as ample resources, make Beijing one of the most attractive destinations for migrants.