UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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![]() Ruishi Diaolou 瑞石樓 in Jinjiangli village | |
Location | Kaiping, Guangdong, China |
Includes |
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Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv) |
Reference | 1112 |
Inscription | 2007 (31st Session) |
Area | 372 ha (920 acres) |
Buffer zone | 2,738 ha (6,770 acres) |
Coordinates | 22°17′8″N 112°33′57″E / 22.28556°N 112.56583°E |
Diaolou (simplified Chinese: 碉楼; traditional Chinese: 碉樓) are fortified multi-storey watchtowers in rural villages, generally made of reinforced concrete. These towers are located mainly in Kaiping, Guangdong province, China.[1] In 2007, UNESCO designated the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (开平碉楼与村落) a World Heritage Site, which covers four separate Kaiping village areas: Sanmenli (三门里), Zilicun (自力村), Jinjiangli (锦江里), and Majianglong village cluster (马降龙村落群). These areas demonstrate a unique fusion of 19th- and 20th-century Chinese and Western architectural styles.[2]
...the diaolou were built in the countryside, in villages and on the initiative of the peasants themselves. Contrary to normal expectations, thanks to emigration we can see a certain "cosmopolitanism" among the peasants in Kaiping... the diaolou are the epitome of overseas Chinese culture, embodied in stone.