Small cities bet BIG on talent

Low-profile towns vie for young professionals and graduates as economic recast spawns China-wide industry upgrade

Earlier this year, Chen Hongyu, 28, received his doctorate in transportation management from Northwestern University, Illinois, the United States; but little did he imagine he would pick Guiyang, a relatively low-profile city in Southwestern China, as his career launch pad, steering clear of the world's bustling metropolises that most of his classmates gravitated to.

Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province, one of the poorest regions in China - and definitely not what Chen might have aspired for, compared to career-minded Chinese professionals' preferred destinations such as first-tier city and innovation hub Shenzhen.