| Kaiping City, situated in Guangdong Province, P.R. China,
is a famous land of culture and arts. Moreover, it is the exclusive and
of the famous Kaiping Diaolou. There used to be more than 3,000 towers of
these structures at a peak period, and according to recent survey and registration
by the Kaiping City Government, there are 1,833 remaining. In the year of
2001, Kaiping Diaolou was declared by the State Council as Important Protected
Unit of Culture Relics. |
 |
| 2、Kaiping is a famous hometown for the overseas
Chinese in China. The emigration had stated from the fourteen-century and
at the end of the nineteen-century, there were the overseas Chinese all
over the world. Now, there have been 750,000 who have spread over 65 countries
and areas. Foreign cultures impact the ways of the thinking and living to
the flowing people. A lot of changes have taken place. The overseas Chinese
who have get rich and fame bring not only the fortune, but also the elites
of the foreign cultures and architecture. |
 |
3、Kaiping diaolou can used to defend enemies, besides dwelling.
There are three types of it: genglou, zhonglou, and jvlou.
A genglou is built on the back of the villages for the need of joint defence.
The villagers collect money to build genglou, of which every family share
a room. The construction of the genglou is block, simple and good quality
to defend the bandits.
A jvlou is also built behind the country, which belongs to the rich. The
jvlou combines the two functions of the diaolous well. The construction
of jvlou is high and big, the space of which is opening, and the sculpt
is beautiful and taste. It is comfort for living. |
 |
4、The kaiping diaolou can be divided into stone-tower,
three-in-one-tower and armoured-concrete-tower from the materials and construction.
The stone-towers mainly distribute in plain. In the early 20 century, the
people imported quantity of reinforcing steel bar, cement, and so on. They
adjust measures to local conditions to use local material. Their thoughts
and technical level go with the time. |