11. Wuhan
A transportation hub in central China, Wuhan at the turn of the 20th century was dubbed the Chicago of China for its rail links. Today, China's gleaming new high-speed rail system has become the face of its transportation system, but Wuhan still occupies a key node in the country's interior network. The controversial Three Gorges Dam has made significant strides in controlling the massive floods that have crippled the city in the past, and with a slew of high-caliber universities, Wuhan is emerging as a center for higher -- and drier -- education.
Above, a Chinese woman carries her daughter along a busy intersection in Wuhan, in China's Hubei province, on June 11, 2012. The young girl is wearing a mask to protect against the thick air pollution.
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