Diaolou
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
Jinjiangli village, with Ruishi Diaolou (瑞石樓) in the back | |
Interactive map of Kaiping Diaolou and Villages | |
| Location | Kaiping, Guangdong, China |
| Includes |
|
| 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 Location of Diaolou in Guangdong Diaolou Diaolou (China) | |
| Diaolou | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 碉楼 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 碉樓 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | watchtower | ||||||||||
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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. 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.