Diaolou and Villages of Kaiping

» Guangzhou, Guang Dong

Diaolou and Villages of Kaiping Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

The Diaolou of Kaiping are fortified multi-storey towers, built by returning Chinese immigrants from America, Canada, Hong Kong and Malaysia. They display a fusion of Chinese and Western decorative forms. The towers were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, when there were more than 3,000 of these structures. Of the there exist 1,833 diaolous still standing in kaiping's 16 townships today, 20 of them in the following areas make up the designated site: Sanmenli Village, Zili Village & the Fang Clan Watch Tower, Majianlong Village Cluster and Jinjiangli Village.

Appearance

The upper part of the Diaolous is built in the form of colonnade, terrace, receding terrace, over-hanging, castle and mixture of different styles. The appearance of a diaolous reflects the economic strength of the owner, aesthetic taste and the impact of external culture.

Classification

According to purpose

The kaiping diaolous, mainly served the purposes of defence and dwelling, are divided into three types: night watchtowers, communal towers and dwelling towers.

• Night watchtowers
  The night watchtowers were built for joint defence among villages. They were mostly built at the entrance of the villages, on the hill or beside the river outside the village. They functioned to give alarm.
• Communal towers
  The communal towers were built in the rear part with the funds raised by all villagers or many households. Each family had one room to hide themselves in case of bandits' attack. Such towers were built in a sealed and simple way for the purpose of defence.
• Dwelling towers
  Solely rich families built the dwelling towers at the back of the village. Such towers well combine the two purposes. High, spacious and nice-looking as well as convenient for living, they are usually the symbols of a village.

According to building materials and structure

From building materials and structure, kaiping diaolous can be classified into stone towers, lime-sand-clay towers, brick towers (including brick-wood and brick-concrete structure) and steel reinforced concrete towers. The stone and brick towers with a longer history were mainly built in the hilly areas. The early brick towers were of brick-wood structure. Later, they were mostly of brick-concrete structure. The steel reinforced concrete buildings were mostly seen in the plain areas. In the early 20th century, much steel and cement started to be used. Local people then began to accept modern building materials and technology.

Representative Diaolous

Ruishi Diaolou is located behind Jinjiangli Village, Xianggang Township. Constructed in 1921, it has nine floors and is the highest diaolou at Kaiping. It features a Byzantine style roof and a Roman dome. The Majianglong diaolou cluster spread across the villages of Nan'an li, He'dong li, Qing lin li, Long jiang li and Yong'an li. Li Garden, in Beiyi Xiang, was constructed in 1936 by Mr. Xie Weili, a Chinese emigrant to the United States. Built in 1920 after contributions from villagers, Fangshi Denglou is five stories high. It is referred to as the "Light Tower" because it had an enormous searchlight as bright as the beam of a lighthouse. Bianchouzhu Lou (The Leaning Tower), located in Nanxing Village was constructed in 1903. It has seven floors and overlooks a pond. Tianlu Lou (Tower of Heavenly Success), located in Yong'an li, was built in 1922 and is seven storeys tall plus a roof top floor.

How to get there

Get to Shenzhen or Guangzhou first, bus-bound to Kiaping can be found. Expressway is available. You could rent a car or take a taxi at Kaiping to go around and see Diaolous scattered throughout the countryside. Hiring a local guide is a wise choice.

Attractions around » Guangzhou, Guang Dong

Natural Scene

• Pearl River

Historical Site

• Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
• Chen Family Temple

Cultural Site

• Yuexiu Park
• Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
• Diaolou and Villages of Kaiping
• Chen Family Temple

Diaolou and Villages of Kaiping Highlights

Diaolou of Kaiping

In Kaiping City, halfway between Guangzhou and the border with Macao, such families are very common. Behind each closed door there is a story, and each story is beyond borders. Diaolou, or literally fortified watchtower, has witnessed the ups and downs of these families, and held together rustic homesickness and traditions of overseas Chinese.

Local Resident House in Great China

• Everest Base Camp
• Courtyard Houses of Beijing
• Langde Miao Ethnic Minority Village
• Yinshui Dong Village
• Earth Tower of Hakka
• Grape Valley
• Lop Nur People Village
• Wanzhou
• China Folk Culture Village
• Diaolou and Villages of Kaiping
• Sanbao Dong Village
• Dong People's Village
• Tang'an Dong Village
• Nanhua Miao Village
• Datang Miao Village
• Basha Miao Village

Diaolou and Villages of Kaiping FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Weather

1. How are the four seasons like in Guangzhou and when is the best time to go?

  Transportation

1. Noitce this when you take a taxi.

  Customs

1. What about the interesting festivals there?

  Other Hints

1. Here are some facts aboutCanton Fair.
2. Warning about Canton Fair
3. Dos and Don'ts to Stay Safe
4. Can I see any English channel there?
5. Beware of dangerous little girls
6. Ignore some cheap deals
7. Emergency numbers:

• How are the four seasons like in Guangzhou and when is the best time to go?

  Guangzhou is located in China's subtropical area with an all-year pleasant climate. Guangzhou's spring is humid and rainy; summer is a little hot with occasional typhoons. Temperature in autumn is very moderate, cool and windy. The good weather of autumn often lasts to November and December; the period from October to December is the best travel time. Winter is a little chilly but short. Sweaters are sufficient.

- Top -



• Noitce this when you take a taxi.

  Business names and addresses are also in Chinese. Print them out and show them to the taxi drivers. Most drivers do not speak English; many not even Cantonese.

- Top -



• What about the interesting festivals there?

  Besides traditional Chinese festivals such as Spring Festival, New Year, International Labor Day and National Day, Guangzhou celebrates some local festivals, such as the Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice) Day, on the 21st, 22nd or 23rd of the twelfth Chinese lunar month, is the important festival that Guangzhou people pay much attention to. Cantonese people consider this day as a family reunion day.

  In addition to local festivals, as a big city, Guangzhou also hosts international conferences and activities, of which the Canton Fair is the most influential

- Top -



• Here are some facts about Canton Fair.

  The Chinese Export Commodities Fair or Canton Fair originated in the spring of 1957. It is held biannually every spring and autumn in Guangzhou. This fair is the largest comprehensive international trade fair in China with the longest history, highest level, largest scale and the most merchants. It is held in Pazhou Exhibition Hall, Xingang Dong Lu, Haizhu District and Liuhua Lu Exhibition Hall, No. 117, Liuhua Lu.

- Top -



• Warning about Canton Fair

  The last two weeks of April and October (April 15-30 and October 15-30) coincide with the annual Guangzhou International Trade Fairs. Hotel room rates are unreasonably hiked up anything from 200% to 400%, including hostels! If you're not travelling to see the Trade Fair, you might want to consider another period of time.

- Top -



• Dos and Don'ts to Stay Safe

  Firearms are banned in the country except for police and military use, but the streets can still be dangerous for the unwary. Due to the enormous number of people from other mainland provinces flocking to Guangzhou in the hope of finding jobs (often unsuccessfully), the area surrounding the main train station has gained a notorious reputation for being chaotic, unsafe and rampant with petty crimes. Pickpockets are especially active here. In recent years, armed (large blades, knives, and such) robberies in the open and abductions which result in first degree murders have been on the rise in the city. Just bear in mind, when people become desperate, they will do anything to get what they want. If you are getting robbed, do not expect the crowd to help. And if they are armed, do not fight back. The best defense, as always, is common sense:

  • Do not flash your valuables in public.
  • Do not wander around by yourself late at night and remain alert at all times.
  • Use only official taxis and get advice from the government-run tourist office.

  With its vast, ever-increasing population, there will always be people (mostly from out of town) who just seem to be hanging around. Those unaccustomed to this may feel intimidated, especially Westerners who get stared at a lot. However, please remember that rural Chinese are not used to seeing a "Gwai Lo" (a Westerner), so their stares are merely out of interest, and should not be taken as something rude or offensive. In this respect, it is important to be aware that three out of 10 people in Guangzhou are migrants from other provinces.

  Traffic accident rates in Guangzhou (or China for that matter) are significantly higher than those of other countries. Use extra caution when crossing streets; use pedestrian bridges and tunnels whenever possible. Like everywhere else in China, cars do not yield to pedestrians. Instead, drivers automatically expect pedestrians to yield to them. So in most cases, they don't stop until it's too late. Due to the high number of traffic accidents and crimes involving motorcycles, they will be totally banned in Guangzhou starting in 2007. Once the most important mode of transportation in China, bicycles will be also limited to certain roads within the city.

- Top -



• Can I see any English channel there?

  Guangzhou Television (GZTV) has an English channel, offering entertainment and cultural programs. There are two English channels from Hong Kong, 'Pearl' and 'ATV World', available in most hotels, offer a great selection of prime time shows from US and UK.

- Top -



• Beware of dangerous little girls

  Beware of little girls selling flowers along the embakment of the Pearl River especially at the entrance of the Pier where you join the Pearl River Cruise. They will cling onto your legs and won't let go until a ransom is paid.

- Top -



• Ignore some cheap deals

  never be taken in by cheap offer of coach transport, only buy tickets from the window counter. don't be misled by the pictures of coaches display. you may not get what you see and pay for.

- Top -



• Emergency numbers:

  • Police: 110
    
  • Fire: 119
    
  • Medical: 120
    
  • Traffic accident: 122

<div align="right"><a href="#top" title="click to return to the top of this page">- Top -</a></div>