Name: Kaiping

Chine Name: 开平市 (Kāipíng shì)

Province: Guangdong

Prefecture: Jiangmen

Status: City District

Population: 697,395 inhabitants

Area: 1,659 km²

Located approximately 130 km southwest of Guangzhou, the village of Kaiping stands out for its remarkable collection of watchtowers known as diaolous. Kaiping is the hometown of countless overseas Chine who founded these fortresses, making Kaiping a charming tourist village in Southern Chine.

Kaiping is also regarded as an artistic village surrounded by truly beautiful, pleasant scenery. A day spent in Kaiping will certainly transport you away from the bustle of nearby major cities.

History

A heterogeneous blend of European styles ranging from Roman antiquity to Rococo, the fortresses of Kaiping were built in the 19th and early 20th centuries by Chine emigrants returning home. Due to the political instability of the era, many took the form of towers as fortresses designed to protect their residents from bandits and Japanese troops.

Today

Outside the summer months, it's highly enjoyable to wander through Kaiping and discover the diaolous and other period buildings. The various architectural styles are striking and make the visit entertaining. The quiet streets, still largely preserved, will immerse you in the village's history.

The diaolous are characterized by their spacing and location amid fields or estates that further accentuate their imposing structure to the eyes of fascinated visitors.

The village and diaolous have been inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage since 2007 and rank as the thirty-fifth Chine World Heritage Site.

Departing from Guangzhou, numerous tour buses head to Kaiping, making day-trip round trips.

From Guangzhou's long-distance bus terminals, buses depart daily toward Kaiping. New departures occur approximately every hour starting at 6 AM until 5 PM. The journey takes only 2 hours.

Buses also depart from Shenzhen or Zhuhai.

The buses drop tourists at Kaiping's central bus station or the provincial bus terminal. To reach the village, numerous taxis await to take you to see the famous diaolous and accompany you throughout the day. There's also a local bus that will take you there for approximately 5 yuan.