1112 CN - Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (2007)

Brief Description

"Kaiping Diaolou and Villages feature the Diaolou, multi-storeyed defensive village houses in Kaiping, which display a complex and flamboyant fusion of Chinese and Western structural and decorative forms. They reflect the significant role of émigré Kaiping people in the development of several countries in South Asia, Australasia and North America, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are four groups of Diaolou and twenty of the most symbolic ones are inscribed on the List. These buildings take three forms: communal towers built by several families and used as temporary refuge, residential towers built by individual rich families and used as fortified residences, and watch towers. Built of stone, pise , brick or concrete, these buildings represent a complex and confident fusion between Chinese and Western architectural styles. Retaining a harmonious relationship with the surrounding landscape, the Diaolou testify to the final flowering of local building traditions that started in the Ming period in response to local banditry."

开平碉楼与村落

"开平碉楼与村落以广东省开平市用于防卫的多层塔楼式乡村民居——雕镂而著称，展现了中西建筑和装饰形式复杂而灿烂的融合，表现了 19世纪末及20世纪初开平侨民在几个南亚国家、澳洲以及北美国家发展进程中的重要作用，以及海外开平人与其故里的密切联系。此次收录的遗产包括四组共计 20座碉楼，是村落群中近1800座塔楼的代表，代表了近五个世纪塔楼建筑的颠峰，也展现了散居国外的华侨与故土之间仍然紧密的联系。这些建筑分为三种形 式：由若干户人家共同兴建的众楼，为临时避难之用，现存473座；由富有人家独自建造的居楼，同时具有防卫和居住的功能，现存1149座；以及出现时间最 晚的更楼，为联防预警之用，现存221座。也可分为石楼、土楼、青砖楼、钢筋水泥楼，反映了中西方建筑风格复杂而完美的融合。碉楼与周围的乡村景观和谐共 生，见证了明代以来以防匪为目的的当地建筑传统的最后繁荣。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1112

1112-001     Yinglong Lou (at Sanmenli Village)
1112-002     Zili Village and the Fang Clan Watch Tower
1112-003     Majianlong Village Cluster
1112-004     Jingjiangli Village

1112-001     Yinglong Lou (at Sanmenli Village)

1112-002     Zili Village

1112-002     Fang Clan Watch Tower

1112-003 Majianlong Village Cluster

1112-004     Jingjiangli Village