The diaolou (碉樓) are fortified multi-storey towers, generally made of reinforced concrete. These towers are located mainly in Kaiping County, Guangdong province, China. Kaiping together with its neighbouring counties of Enping, Taishan and Xinwei are collectively known as the "Four counties". It was from the four counties that many of the Chinese labourers to North America originated from.
Also known as the "Kaiping diaolou", the first towers were built during the early Qing Dynasty, reaching a peak in the 1920s and 1930s, when there were more than three thousand of these structures. Today, approximately 1,833 diaolou remain standing in Kaiping, and approximately 500 in Taishan. Although the diaolou served mainly as protection against forays by bandits, a few of them also served as living quarters.
Kaiping has traditionally been a region of major emigration abroad, and a melting pot of ideas and trends brought back by overseas Chinese. As a result, many diaolou incorporate architectural features from China and from the West.
Examples include:
Ruishi Diaolou, located behind Jinjiangli Village, Lianggang Township. Constructed in 1921, it has nine floors and is the highest diaolou at Kaiping. It features a Byzantine style roof and a Roman dome.
The diaolou cluster spread across the villages of Anhe li, He'an li and Yong'an li.
Li Garden, in Beiyi Xiang, was constructed in 1936 by Mr. Xie Weili, a Chinese emigrant to the United States.
Fangshi Denglou - Built in 1920 after contributions from villagers, this denglou is five storeys high. It is referred to as the "Light Tower" because it had an enormous searchlight as bright as the beam of a lighthouse.
Bianchouzhu Lou (The Leaning Tower), located in Nanxing Village was constructed in 1903. It has seven floors and overlooks a pond.
UNESCO World Heritage Site Application
An application for World Heritage site status for the Kaiping diaolou had been applied for, with support from all over our world.
There is a concerted effort from Canadians living in the province of British Columbia. Enclose in part, is a paraphrased letter of appeal and support from one of our Members of our Provincial Government, the Legislative Assembly (MLA):
"(MLA Jenny Kwan)... wrote a letter to all the BC Members of Parliament, our premier, B.C. Opposition Leader and mayors notifying them about the Kaiping Watchtower World Heritage Site application and the letter campaign. Responses have been supportive. The westcoast Canadian effort demonstrates that the relation between B.C. and Guangdong is not purely one of economic interest but also, one of friendship and history.
Various Canadian community organizations have also contributed to this campaign;
they include the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, Hoy Ping Benevolent Association of Canada, Greater China Friendship Association, Chinese Freemasons of Canada, Chinese Canadian Historical Society, Chinese Canadian Artists Federation in Vancouver, North American Buddhist Friendship, Education, Culture and Development Corp., Barkerville Heritage Trust and many others.
Letters supporting the Kaiping Watchtower application were sent to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, with copies sent to the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO, Guangdong, and the Kaiping government.
The World Heritage Convention will be held late June 2007 in New Zealand and will rule on the application."
We hope people from other countries can also prepare letters of support to UNESCO application:
World Heritage Centre
UNESCO
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
Flytrap canada 17:49, 6 March 2007 (UTC)
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