Diaolou, fortified multi-storey tower built mainly for protection against bandits - Kaiping County.

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Zili

Top choice in Guangdong

Zili, 11km west of Kaiping, has the largest collection of diāolóu historic watchtowers in the area, though only a few of the 15 are open to the public. The most stunning is Míngshí Lóu (铭石楼), which has a veranda with Ionic columns and a hexagonal pavilion on its roof. It appeared in the film Let the Bullets Fly. Yúnhuàn Lóu (云幻楼) has four towers known as ‘swallow nests’, each with embrasures, cobblestones and a water cannon.

Next to the village is Fang Clan’s Dēng Lóu (方氏灯楼), aka Light Tower, named because of its powerful searchlight.

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