The rambling villages of Kaiping are generally unremarkable until you come across a diaolou. Rising up from the small villages like the proverbial sore thumbs, these century old fortified towers are a reminder of a significantly more dangerous times for the villagers.
This county in the province of Guangdong has a history of banditry as well as more recent political turmoil These towers that dot the landscpape are now protected by the government.
However Chinese they seem, however, they are a combination of a variety of architectural forms with a very interesting history.
