Hangu, China

With a population of just 208,369, Hangu is a tiny outpost in the Henan province, far from the glitz and glamour of China's booming megacities. The once-strategic mountain pass has long since lost its defensive value, leaving the town a bureaucratic headache for residents. Frequent bank erosion and alluvial deposition from the nearby Yellow River have rendered the historic Hangu Pass a ruin, a mere shadow of its former self. This sleepy backwater is best suited for those seeking a slower, more isolated pace of life - and a tolerance for persistent infrastructure challenges.