5. Chongqing

Population: 34.04 million

Area: 82,300 square kilometers

Little-known to many outside China, the hotpot city of Chongqing has the largest population in the country with a staggering 34 million residents. Like Chengdu, it's well-known for its spicy food.

Since 2014, Chongqing has maintained double-digit GDP growth, topping all other provinces and cities in China. In 2018, its GDP reached over 2 trillion yuan and its average wage of employed persons in urban non-private units was 78,928 yuan. With the increasing cost of living in Beijing and Shanghai, many are choosing to relocate to up-and-coming new first-tier cities like Chongqing.