Kaiping Diaolou are one of the most spectacular architectural examples of the combination of Chinese and Western culture. These unusual buildings are scattered in the countryside around the city of Kaiping, two hours from the center of Guangzhou in the south of China.
开平碉楼，作为中西文化融合的杰出建筑代表之一，散落在中国南方开平市周围的乡野中，距离广州市中心约两小时车程。
The first Diaolou were built around the 17th century to defend the people of the countryside from frequent bandit assaults (土匪袭击). The kind of architecture reached its peak splendor and popularity a few centuries later between the 1920s and 1930s. By that time Diaolou had numbered over 3,000.
碉楼的建设始于17世纪，旨在保护乡村人民免受频繁的土匪袭击。随着时间的推移，这种建筑的规模在20世纪20-30年代达到了巅峰，当时的碉楼数量超过3 000座。
Today there are about 1,800 Diaolou still standing in the Cantonese countryside. Some are in a state of neglect, while others are still in use. Some of the towers were declared a World Heritage Site in 2007. The recognition highlights the historical significance and unique architectural features of these buildings:
如今，开平的乡间依然屹立着约1 800座碉楼。有些处于荒废状态，而另一些则仍然在使用中。2007年，部分碉楼被列为世界文化遗产，这一荣誉凸显了这些建筑的历史重要性和独特的建筑特征。
The diversity of watchtowers
watchtowers: used for monitoring the surrounding area.
residential towers built by individual rich families: used as residences.
communal towers: built by several families together to be used as temporary shelters in case of bandit attacks.
碉楼的多样性
瞭望塔：用于监视周围环境。
富裕家庭建造的住宅楼：作为居住之所。
公共碉楼：由多个家庭共同建造，用作在土匪袭击时的临时庇护所。
The materials of Diaolou are stone, brick, compressed earth, and for the newer buildings, reinforced concrete. Each Diaolou is unique, but all of them contain some common elements. These are the small openings for doors and windows, and the watchtowers at the highest part of the building, guaranteeing a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. The decorative elements, more or less showy, were used to display the wealth of the owners.
碉楼的建筑材料包括石头、砖块、土坯，而在较新的建筑中则使用了钢筋混凝土。每座碉楼都有其独特之处，但它们都有一些共同的特征，如小型的门窗开口和建筑顶部的瞭望塔，确保360度全景视野。此外，碉楼的装饰元素则展现了主人的财富和地位，华丽与简约各有不同。
You can see Diaolou scattered throughout the countryside or embedded in Kaiping simply by cycling through the city. The grandest and best-preserved Diaolou though, are found in some specific areas, which can be visited by purchasing a single ticket.
在开平市及其乡村中，您可以骑行游览，随处可见这些碉楼。而最宏伟、保存最完好的碉楼则集中在一些特定区域，游客可以通过购买一对一的门票来参观。尽情领略开平碉楼的历史魅力与建筑之美，体验这段独特的文化之旅！
