Yangcun, China

With a population of 63,756, Yangcun is hardly the sleepy backwater it appears on maps. The Battle of Yangcun, a clash during the Boxer Rebellion, left a heavy toll - the Americans alone suffered 9 dead, 64 wounded, and 2 more from heat exhaustion. Even today, the punishing climate remains a persistent headache, with one-fifth of troops reportedly felled by the sweltering heat during the original battle. While the city has avoided major conflict since, the bureaucratic hassles of living under an authoritarian government are an inescapable fact of life. Yangcun is best suited for hardy souls willing to brave the elements and red tape in exchange for a firsthand glimpse of China's tumultuous past.