Kaiping Diaoluo: Surprizing Cultural Mix Germ of Southern China

#chinaattractions Diaolou is a special kind of Chinese residential building, named after its shape like a bunker.The distribution of Diaolou in China is very regional, mainly in Sichuan Province, Guangdong Province and other places.Diaolou is not only an architectural form, but also the crystallization of history, culture and art. Historical background and geographical distribution Diaolou originated in the middle and late Ming Dynasty and flourished around the 1920s.In Kaiping, Guangdong, the number of pillboxes reached its heyday, with more than 3,000.These pillboxes are not only defensive facilities, but also symbols of local overseas Chinese culture.The background of the construction of the pillboxes is closely related to the local social turmoil and bandits. In order to protect the safety of their families, overseas Chinese use the wealth accumulated overseas to build pillboxes. Architectural features and style The pillbox has the characteristics of a multi-story building, which is much higher than ordinary residential buildings, making it easy to defend condescendingly.Its walls are thicker and stronger than ordinary houses, the windows are small and have iron grilles and sashes, and the outer iron plate windows and doors.The four corners of the upper part of the bunker are generally built with protruding cantilevered fully enclosed or semi-enclosed corner fort, commonly known as the ”swallow's nest". Forward and downward shooting holes are opened in the corner fort, which can condescendingly return fire to the enemy in the village. Cultural significance and protection status Kaiping Diaolou is not only a wonderful combination of Chinese and Western architectural art, but also has various functions such as defense, disaster prevention and residence.In 2007, ”Kaiping Diaolou and Ancient Village" was officially included in the "World Heritage List", becoming China's 35th World Heritage site.In order to protect these precious historical and cultural heritage, our government and Kaiping City have taken a series of measures to repair and protect, while actively developing Diaolou tourism resources to make it an important tourist attraction.