A rural county-level city under Jiangmen, Kaiping is the home of the diaolou — fortified multi-storey towers blending Chinese and European styles, built by returning overseas Chinese and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History & culture
From the late 19th to early 20th century, emigrants who struck it rich abroad sent money home to build these defensive towers against bandits and floods, fusing Greek, Roman, Gothic and Islamic motifs onto Chinese village houses.
What to see & do
- ◆Zili Village's cluster of diaolou in the paddies
- ◆Majianglong village towers among bamboo
- ◆Chikan old arcaded riverside town
- ◆Li Garden, a diaolou-era mansion estate
- ◆Ruishi Lou, the tallest diaolou
What to eat
- ●Chikan rice-noodle dishes
- ●Eel clay-pot rice
- ●Cantonese country cooking
Getting there
Buses and cars reach Kaiping from Jiangmen and Guangzhou (~2h); the diaolou clusters are spread across villages, so a car or local tour is ideal.
Avoid the pitfalls
- Towers are scattered across farmland — a single combined ticket covers several clusters.
- Allow a full day; rushing between villages spoils the calm.
- Inside towers it can be hot and dim; go in cooler hours.
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