Kaiping Diaolou and Villages
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages
4
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Known locally as the Kaiping Diaolou, these unique, multi-story watchtowers were used as fortifications in the 17th century. Now a world UNESCO Heritage site, they are some of the most fascinating historical and architectural artifacts in China.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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4.0
147 reviews
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60
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62
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22
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Douglas M
Guangzhou, China3,076 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
This was the post-lunch attraction of our day after national day, one-day coach trip from Guangzhou which is around 100 km north-east.
As an aside, Diaolou (嫡楼) means watchtower. Many of the houses in the area are of a similar square four story (lou 楼) design. The area is as flat as a pancake, so I reckon you can see for miles from a roof top.
We stopped for a very nice lunch at the Li Garden Village visitor’s centre where you can get information about and buy tickets to visit the three villages of Li Garden, Zili, and Majianlong.
Pity, there wasn’t time to visit the historical village.
Note: There’s a bus route connecting the villages. There are also EV charging points at this visitor centre.
Then it was back on the coach and a short ride the Chikan European Style Street (TA review).
As an aside, Diaolou (嫡楼) means watchtower. Many of the houses in the area are of a similar square four story (lou 楼) design. The area is as flat as a pancake, so I reckon you can see for miles from a roof top.
We stopped for a very nice lunch at the Li Garden Village visitor’s centre where you can get information about and buy tickets to visit the three villages of Li Garden, Zili, and Majianlong.
Pity, there wasn’t time to visit the historical village.
Note: There’s a bus route connecting the villages. There are also EV charging points at this visitor centre.
Then it was back on the coach and a short ride the Chikan European Style Street (TA review).
Written October 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mitraveler16
Seattle, WA94 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
To give you context about my comments below, I'm a westerner who has been working and living in China for over 3 years. I speak just enough Chinese to survive here (meaning embarrassingly little). My wife and I reasonably well-traveled in China, so we were happy to see a less known attraction in China.
We visited the Diaolou villages over the recent Tomb Sweeping weekend. After taking a morning bus from Guangzhou to Kaiping (60 RMB each, 2 hours), we had our hotel concierge arrange a private car and driver for 500 RMB for 8 hours (split between that afternoon and the following morning).
Our first stop was Zili, which has a good concentration of Diaolou houses. At the entrance, we bought the combined ticket for 180 RMB, which is valid for 2 days. They obviously aren't the terracotta warriors or Great Wall, but they were fun to see and Zili is a scenic village to stroll around. The weather was lovely, but I can imagine the same walk being very hot in the summer.
After a couple of hours at Zili, we drove to the nearby Li Family Gardens, which were bucolic and quite different from Zili. There are a wide range of houses (really villas), small outbuildings, and a well fortified tower. The late afternoon light made for good photography.
The following morning we went to Majianglong, which has fewer fields or landscape views of Diaolou and more bamboo forests. Like Zili, there are regular maps and "recommended route" signs, but we found some of the nicest places were down the small paths on the left. We found one Diaolou nearly engulfed by bamboo. It was a secret meeting place for Chinese soldiers during WWII.
Our final stop was Chikan, which LP recommended. Unless you have a deep interest in the traditional shop architecture or the film industry, I would skip it. It wasn't particularly scenic.
If you're short on time, you get a good exposure to the Diaolou by visiting just Zili and the Li Family Gardens. The novelty of Diaolou decays pretty fast as you see more of them, though we don't regret also going to Majianlong.
We visited the Diaolou villages over the recent Tomb Sweeping weekend. After taking a morning bus from Guangzhou to Kaiping (60 RMB each, 2 hours), we had our hotel concierge arrange a private car and driver for 500 RMB for 8 hours (split between that afternoon and the following morning).
Our first stop was Zili, which has a good concentration of Diaolou houses. At the entrance, we bought the combined ticket for 180 RMB, which is valid for 2 days. They obviously aren't the terracotta warriors or Great Wall, but they were fun to see and Zili is a scenic village to stroll around. The weather was lovely, but I can imagine the same walk being very hot in the summer.
After a couple of hours at Zili, we drove to the nearby Li Family Gardens, which were bucolic and quite different from Zili. There are a wide range of houses (really villas), small outbuildings, and a well fortified tower. The late afternoon light made for good photography.
The following morning we went to Majianglong, which has fewer fields or landscape views of Diaolou and more bamboo forests. Like Zili, there are regular maps and "recommended route" signs, but we found some of the nicest places were down the small paths on the left. We found one Diaolou nearly engulfed by bamboo. It was a secret meeting place for Chinese soldiers during WWII.
Our final stop was Chikan, which LP recommended. Unless you have a deep interest in the traditional shop architecture or the film industry, I would skip it. It wasn't particularly scenic.
If you're short on time, you get a good exposure to the Diaolou by visiting just Zili and the Li Family Gardens. The novelty of Diaolou decays pretty fast as you see more of them, though we don't regret also going to Majianlong.
Written April 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
3lgdz
Manila, Philippines1,462 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
Even if this attraction is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, only a few tourists (especially foreign) ever make it out here. It's only around 2 to 2.5 hours away from central Guangzhou - so it's more accessible than ever before. The Diaolou 碉樓 (watchtowers built by wealthy migrants- either residential, communal or defensive) here in Kaiping are located in different villages. The villages I'd recommend include Zili Village and Jinjiangli Village. Both of these are part of the official UNESCO World Heritage site.
Zili Village has the largest collection of diaolous in Kaiping. In Zili Village, the Mingshi Lou 銘石樓 is open for visitors and you can climb all the floors to have a taste of how the 1900s Chinese lived in their mansions. At the top floor, you can have a panoramic view of the other diaolou in a rural setting - very picturesque. You can also check out the other diaolou that are open to the public, or just stroll around the village observing the local people selling food items. Zili Village has not been transformed into a tourist trap yet, so there won't be pushy vendors shoving their wares in your face.
Jinjiangli is located a bit further - and is relatively smaller compared to Zili, but there's the privately run Ruishi Lou 瑞石樓 which is Kaiping’s tallest diaolou with nine storeys, topped off with a Byzantine-style roof and Roman dome. For me, this diaolou has the best interior and exterior design, although there are only three diaolou here. The other diaolou are also worth clambering up for a visit.
Chikan Village is also worth visiting to check out the local stores, qilou buildings 騎樓, and taking a photo of the rows of stores along the river from the main bridge.
If you're sick and tired of the modern city life in Guangzhou, visit this place - this UNESCO site is never crowded, and you can experience how the old locals in the countryside still live while their children and grandchildren have already migrated to the large cities in search of higher paying jobs. Visit while it has not been commercialized.
Zili Village has the largest collection of diaolous in Kaiping. In Zili Village, the Mingshi Lou 銘石樓 is open for visitors and you can climb all the floors to have a taste of how the 1900s Chinese lived in their mansions. At the top floor, you can have a panoramic view of the other diaolou in a rural setting - very picturesque. You can also check out the other diaolou that are open to the public, or just stroll around the village observing the local people selling food items. Zili Village has not been transformed into a tourist trap yet, so there won't be pushy vendors shoving their wares in your face.
Jinjiangli is located a bit further - and is relatively smaller compared to Zili, but there's the privately run Ruishi Lou 瑞石樓 which is Kaiping’s tallest diaolou with nine storeys, topped off with a Byzantine-style roof and Roman dome. For me, this diaolou has the best interior and exterior design, although there are only three diaolou here. The other diaolou are also worth clambering up for a visit.
Chikan Village is also worth visiting to check out the local stores, qilou buildings 騎樓, and taking a photo of the rows of stores along the river from the main bridge.
If you're sick and tired of the modern city life in Guangzhou, visit this place - this UNESCO site is never crowded, and you can experience how the old locals in the countryside still live while their children and grandchildren have already migrated to the large cities in search of higher paying jobs. Visit while it has not been commercialized.
Written June 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
imeggetto
Turin, Italy19 contributions
Jul 2013 • Couples
My BF and I just returned from a 2 day trip to Kaiping with very good feelings. For reaching the place we took a bus from Fengcun Coach Station in Guangzhou (by Kenghou metro station) and travelled around 2 hours to Kaiping. Buses between these 2 cities are quite frequent, so do not worry about getting tickets in advance. Once there, we found a cheap hotel with good conditions (there are millions like that) and set for the visit to the watchtowers.
Unlike expectations, the watchtowers are scattered all around both Kaiping and its surroundings, some are in the middle of the city, others in the total wilderness (although none of them is actually out of reach for the touristic vans). From Kaiping bus station there are local buses going to all the main clusters of watchtowers - don't get cheated by the taxi drivers at the entrance. Also, it is possible to join organized tours for 180 yuan, which include access to all clusters: a very rushed, but complete visit.
We decided to visit only the group of watchtowers in the Zili Village (one of the main ones, some 17 km from Kaiping centre), that we reached with a local bus (only 5 yuan, the stop is clearly marked by a brown board). From the bus stop, we walked 10-15 min to the entrance of the "diaolou" and paid a fee of 80 yuan per person - quite expensive, but worth it, as the watchtowers are something very unusual: although built not so long ago, they give a historical feeling such as very few other attractions in Guangdong, including so called "ancestral" temples built or rebuilt in the last few years. The visit takes 2-3 hours, more if you stop for sketching like we did. There are plenty of options for eating inside the complex. It is possible to enter and climb some of the towers to the very top. In a few of them there are small exhibitions.
Opening times: from 8.50 to 17.30, everyday
Unlike expectations, the watchtowers are scattered all around both Kaiping and its surroundings, some are in the middle of the city, others in the total wilderness (although none of them is actually out of reach for the touristic vans). From Kaiping bus station there are local buses going to all the main clusters of watchtowers - don't get cheated by the taxi drivers at the entrance. Also, it is possible to join organized tours for 180 yuan, which include access to all clusters: a very rushed, but complete visit.
We decided to visit only the group of watchtowers in the Zili Village (one of the main ones, some 17 km from Kaiping centre), that we reached with a local bus (only 5 yuan, the stop is clearly marked by a brown board). From the bus stop, we walked 10-15 min to the entrance of the "diaolou" and paid a fee of 80 yuan per person - quite expensive, but worth it, as the watchtowers are something very unusual: although built not so long ago, they give a historical feeling such as very few other attractions in Guangdong, including so called "ancestral" temples built or rebuilt in the last few years. The visit takes 2-3 hours, more if you stop for sketching like we did. There are plenty of options for eating inside the complex. It is possible to enter and climb some of the towers to the very top. In a few of them there are small exhibitions.
Opening times: from 8.50 to 17.30, everyday
Written July 21, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kay765
Amsterdam, The Netherlands63 contributions
Jan 2016 • Friends
After taking the 8.55 bus from the bus terminal across the street from Guangzhou train station, we arrived in Kaiping at 10.30. When exiting the bus station from the main entrance, men with scooters, cabs, "black cabs", and riksjas came up to us to sell us a tour. We settled with a riksja driver for CNY400 for the entire day and we started of driving to Zili Village, my personal favorite. We drove around the entire day and had time to see all seven sights from the CNY180 ticket.
The watchtowers did definitely not disappoint and we were amazed by their diversity, and international influences. I would definitely recommend doing this as a day trip, to anyone staying in Guangzhou.
The watchtowers did definitely not disappoint and we were amazed by their diversity, and international influences. I would definitely recommend doing this as a day trip, to anyone staying in Guangzhou.
Written January 11, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sasanf
Lund, Sweden299 contributions
The Kaiping villages are absolutely worth the effort. You'll have to take a bus from Guangzhou to Kaiping (2h) and from there on to Chikan and surrounding villages but it is also easy to negotiate a fair price with a van-taxi once your are in Kaiping.
I was there on a Sunday and there were just a few tourists to be seen. Some of the villages with clustered Dialous are part of the 'official' Kaiping villages and you have to buy an entry ticket to enter the village. However, if you have your own taxi, you can also stop at various other places where there is just a single structure or two and where there is absolutely no other tourists. I specially enjoyed the village of Zili. Coming from the traffic of Guangzhou, it is wonderful to walk around this small village and soak up the tranquil ambiance.
Some of the villagers have turned their houses into small restaurants and they also sell snacks of various sorts so you won't need to stay hungry.
I was there on a Sunday and there were just a few tourists to be seen. Some of the villages with clustered Dialous are part of the 'official' Kaiping villages and you have to buy an entry ticket to enter the village. However, if you have your own taxi, you can also stop at various other places where there is just a single structure or two and where there is absolutely no other tourists. I specially enjoyed the village of Zili. Coming from the traffic of Guangzhou, it is wonderful to walk around this small village and soak up the tranquil ambiance.
Some of the villagers have turned their houses into small restaurants and they also sell snacks of various sorts so you won't need to stay hungry.
Written November 12, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alesia M
Denver, CO10 contributions
Mar 2018 • Family
China Highlights created an 8-day custom tour for our family which included a day-trip from Guangzhou to Kaiping. My husband is a third-gen Chinese-American, and the primary purpose of this tour was to visit the home of his family which was built in the late 1920s (like many neighboring diaolous). However, we also visited Li Garden, Zilli Village and Majianglong Village. (Chikan was initially included in our itinerary, but unfortunately, it was recently closed for redevelopment).
We would not have located the ancestral home nor been able to meet and communicate with local Villagers but for the assistance of our China Highlights guide, Helen (based in Guangzhou). Fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, she is a consummate professional who is passionate about her work. She went above and beyond her responsibilities to help us accomplish all our travel goals and even helped us order a fabulous dim sum dinner upon our return to Guangzhou. We were very fortunate to have had her as our guide.
Our tour of Kaiping Diaolous was especially meaningful after having visited the family home. We observed several architectural and design similarities among the various diaolous, some of which were also used in the family home. We also enjoyed walking through the museum at Li Garden and learning the story of the Li family. Their immigration experience was shared by many Chinese-Americans from this part of China.
We were impressed with the natural beauty of Kaiping and surprised by the number of diaolous and Western-style mansions scattered throughout the region. Even seeing the unrestored, uninhabited structures added much to our understanding of the fascinating history of Kaiping. After having spent several days in Beijing and Xi’an, it was also great to visit a rural community in China. We even had the opportunity to walk through rice paddy fields!
We would not have located the ancestral home nor been able to meet and communicate with local Villagers but for the assistance of our China Highlights guide, Helen (based in Guangzhou). Fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, she is a consummate professional who is passionate about her work. She went above and beyond her responsibilities to help us accomplish all our travel goals and even helped us order a fabulous dim sum dinner upon our return to Guangzhou. We were very fortunate to have had her as our guide.
Our tour of Kaiping Diaolous was especially meaningful after having visited the family home. We observed several architectural and design similarities among the various diaolous, some of which were also used in the family home. We also enjoyed walking through the museum at Li Garden and learning the story of the Li family. Their immigration experience was shared by many Chinese-Americans from this part of China.
We were impressed with the natural beauty of Kaiping and surprised by the number of diaolous and Western-style mansions scattered throughout the region. Even seeing the unrestored, uninhabited structures added much to our understanding of the fascinating history of Kaiping. After having spent several days in Beijing and Xi’an, it was also great to visit a rural community in China. We even had the opportunity to walk through rice paddy fields!
Written April 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eileena L
Singapore, Singapore176 contributions
Dec 2017 • Friends
Took the bus from Fangcun bus station in Guangzhou. 2hr journey for us to reach Kaiping Yici bus station.
Be sure to bring along your passport as you will need it to purchase long distance bus tickets.
From Yici, take the 617 mini bus to 立园路口 Li Yuan Lu Kou.
If you have limited time, take it to the next stop 自立村 Zi Li Cun, a 30min 3km walk from Li Yuan Lu Kou.
The village is filled with houses that are a curious mixture of Western and South East Asian influence.
Definitely worth the trek there.
Be sure to keep track of the time to catch the last bus back to Guangzhou (enquire at Yici before heading to the Diaolou).
Be sure to bring along your passport as you will need it to purchase long distance bus tickets.
From Yici, take the 617 mini bus to 立园路口 Li Yuan Lu Kou.
If you have limited time, take it to the next stop 自立村 Zi Li Cun, a 30min 3km walk from Li Yuan Lu Kou.
The village is filled with houses that are a curious mixture of Western and South East Asian influence.
Definitely worth the trek there.
Be sure to keep track of the time to catch the last bus back to Guangzhou (enquire at Yici before heading to the Diaolou).
Written December 20, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MdM
Seoul, South Korea67 contributions
Aug 2018
I love the area. They still sell a lot of traditional stuff on the street their and my friend bought some dried mandarin peels which are nice. We also enjoyed visiting the movie park there.
Written July 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phillip W
8 contributions
Jan 2019 • Solo
I came to this area by bus in 2016 and liked it, I thought it would be fun to explore the villages more by hire car. I found a section of old town in Kaiping that I'd entirely missed last time, and the villages in the area are very much the kind of unspoilt/undeveloped places that you expect. On arriving at Chikan town I found that it is closed off and about to be renovated. For the time being it’s only worth going to this area if you want to focus on the outlying villages and probably only if you have a car.
Written February 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you sleep in any of the towers? Any tower hotels/hostels/bnb?
Written February 9, 2021
Hi!
Do you have the driver contact number. I will be visiting GZ in July and would love to visit this place.
TQ
Cynthia
Written June 21, 2017
Hi Cynthia
Unfortunately I did not keep their details. I got the driver through the concierge at our hotel, so I think it shouldn't be too difficult for you to get your hotel to organise it for you. If you know a local it can cost significantly less. Sorry i'm not much help here!
Written June 21, 2017
I recommend you rent a van to there , it is a village area that far from the downtown of KaiPing.
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages is about 120kms from Foshan, and it will takes about 1.5 hours to there if the traffic is good.
If you speak good Chinese, and you no need any guide , just a driver with car is enough.
Written August 4, 2016
Hi, kindly advise can I join a local mini group van tour there to most of the famous places of Intetest? Who to contact, cost?thanks
Written September 5, 2018
Fleur T
Hong Kong, China
Hi All!
I'm planning to visit the area with my family 7-9 February and want to go around the area by bike (or if you think it is more recommendable by minivan). Any idea on a nice tour operator, or: where to start (we arrive from HK), where to rent bikes, where to sleep and to eat?
I do speak Mandarin ( a bit), should you only know of Mandarin speaking parties that can help..
Thanks in advance!
Written January 6, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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