Puji, China

The population of 52,563 may seem modest, but living in Puji, China is no small feat. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the Ming dynasty once moved monks and destroyed temples on the island. Despite its rich Buddhist history, the temple's fortunes have waxed and waned over the centuries. The climate can be unforgiving, with windstorms that once blocked a Japanese monk from leaving. Puji is not for the faint of heart - only those with a deep fascination for Chinese history and an iron constitution need apply.