Guangzhou Day Tour to Kaiping Diaolou Villages

This private Guangzhou day tour to Kaiping will show you the nearby city of Kaiping, a nationally famous hometown of overseas Chinese, boasting the UNESCO-listed Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, with multi-storied defensive buildings in Chinese and Western architectural styles.

In the morning, your private guide and driver will greet you at your self-booked hotel in Guangzhou and then accompany you on a comfortable 2.5-hour drive to Kaiping. After arriving, we’ll visit the Chikan Ancient Town , an ‘open-air museum of overseas Chinese architecture’ with a history of over 370 years. Stepping into this enchanting town, you’ll feel transported to a last-century film set, lined with exotic architecture featuring exquisite Baroque reliefs, classical Roman arcades, and traditional South Chinese wood carvings and stucco sculptures. When a vintage tram slowly rolls down the flagstone street with a soft tinkling bell, seize the moment to pose gracefully for an atmospheric photo. Meanwhile, don’t miss a wide array of free performances held in the town. For instance, the musical Modern Times at the Modern Theatre tells the thrilling tale of Captain Jack, who is targeted by villains while transporting “silver letters”, the letters and remittances from overseas workers to their loved ones. In just 30 minutes, you’ll be treated to classic Broadway-style jazz, lively Latin dance, and even a magic vanishing act.
► Note: 
1. Boat and vintage tram tours in the town are available at your own expense.
2. Performance lineups and schedules may vary slightly by date. Please confirm the latest updates with your guide on the tour day.

Later, continue our way to the UNESCO-rated Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, consisting of thousands of multi-story watchtower-like houses built by overseas Chinese in the early 20th century. Erected from blueprints their builders brought back from abroad, most of these towers you encounter feature Western architectural details, from classical Greek colonnades to distinctive Roman column orders and domes. When stepping into its Zili Village, aka Self-dependence Village, you’ll marvel at a picturesque, idyllic landscape like an ink-wash painting: exotic buildings, rice fields, lotus ponds, and weather-beaten bridges form a delightful contrast. Loitering around here, you may wonder why these structures were constructed 2-7 stories high and equipped with iron gates and windows. With your guide’s vivid storytelling, you’ll learn that one of the reasons is that a century ago, this area was vulnerable to bandits, so  the overseas Chinese returnees built these fortified buildings to safeguard their families and property. Just standing before the six-story Mingshi Tower, an overwhelming sense of oppression will rush toward you.  

Let’s then dive into the Liyuan Garden, built in the early 20th century. Though it also has defensive designs, the garden stands apart from the Self-dependence Village, more like a harmonious combination of classical Chinese gardens and ornate European villas. The further you wander, the more you’ll be amazed by its exquisite layout: intimate gardens, a turquoise artificial waterway, and elegantly styled pavilions draw you into an enchanting scene of “small bridges, flowing streams, and peaceful dwellings”. 

Next, we’ll head to the Ma Xianglong Towers Group. Tucked against Centipede-shaped Mountain and fronted by Tanjiang River, 13 Diaolou towers and Western villas are scattered like pearls scattered among ancient trees and bamboo groves. Make a beeline for its star attraction: Tianlu Tower, rising seven stories tall, was raised by 29 local households in 1925. Can you imagine? As recorded, Kaiping suffered three great floods in the 1960s that submerged rooftops. It was by fleeing to the tops of this very tower that the villagers managed to survive the disaster. 

Finally, cap off our trip at the Grand Granary Bookstore of Libraire Avant-Garde, a celebrated cultural landmark in Kaiping. Just from its unique appearance, you can easily see that the space was ingeniously renovated from five old cylindrical granaries. Now, step inside with your guide to learn about the design stories behind this one-of-a-kind bookstore. Each granary has its own theme and function. For example, the first granary, known as ‘Embracing’, serves as a poetry library and reception area, crafted to greet and embrace each reader. When moving on to the second granary named “Fusion”, you’ll discover social science books intertwined with inverted cone-shaped installations, allowing thoughtful insights to nourish your mind gently. It is such ingenious ideas that secure its place among the BBC’s “Top 10 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World.”

At the end of this 1 day trip from Guangzhou to Kaiping, your guide and driver will escort you to your hotel in Guangzhou in around 2 hours. Thank you for travelling with us! If you’re also interested in the ‘garden town’ Shunde or ‘Kung Fu city’ Foshan around Guangzhou, feel free to contact us to customize your itinerary to your liking!