第四周《旅游英语精读》：开平碉楼英文介绍

 

 

This site in the Peal River Delta abounds in unusual towers built for defense and as a refuge from natural disasters.

Jiangmen, in the Pearl River Delta in south China, is an enchanting city. Under its jurisdiction are Xinhui District and Taishan, Kaiping, Enping and Heshan cities, historically known as Wuyi (five counties) because of their shared popular customs.

In rural areas of Wuyi, one can spot a special type of building constructed in an obviously Western style, rather than the traditional Chinese one. Designed with lookout towers, turrets, iron-barred doors and windows and loopholes, the buildings have witnessed the vicissitudes of time but now are abandoned. These numerous guard towers, or diaolou, constitute a unique landscape. Historical records show that nearly 10,000 guard towers were spread across Wuyi at one time, of which more than 3,000 remain, including over 1,800 in Kaiping alone.

These well-preserved towers are also elegant and beautiful, and have been nominated for the inclusion in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites since 2004. The towers originally served as both a means of defense and a refuge from floods. The oldest surviving guard tower is the 400-year-old Yinglong Tower, located in Sanmenli Village, Chikan Township, Kaiping, dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Kaiping is a low-lying land near the mouth of the Tanjiang River and thus was frequently hit by floods. However, Sanmen villagers escaped from the waters by sheltering in the Yinglong Tower from time to time throughout history.

During the waning years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the ensuing warlord period (1912-28), when chaos prevailed in rural Wuyi, safety and the protection of property were the major concerns of the rich, and they found protection in the guard towers. With money sent by overseas Chinese who worked on the U.S. Pacific Railroad, Kaiping residents built towers to protect themselves against the continuing civil wars and rampant banditry.

These big, strong towers became forts when their heavy doors and windows were shut. In the uppermost story there usually were “swallow’s nests,” corner towers with turrets from which people could view the surrounding countryside.

Wuyi guard towers can be divided into three types: communal towers, dwellings and night watchtowers. The communal towers were built with funds raised by all villagers seeking refuge from danger and disasters, while dwellings were for individual households. The watchtowers were built for joint defense among villages. They were mostly built at the entrance of the villages, on a hill or beside the river outside the village, and raised an alarm against bandits and robbers. Previously, the guard towers in Wuyi were mostly made of earth, bricks and stone. But with the introduction of cement and steel in modern times, the towers were strengthened and enlarged. 

Raw materials such as steel, cement and glass were imported from North America and Europe, then shipped to Hong Kong and finally transported to the villages by primitive wooden boats. Modern steel and concrete made the guard towers built in the 20th century take on a brand new look.

In addition, Kaiping villagers eager for architectural knowledge went to the Civil Engineering College in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong Province. The transfer of technical skills produced a certain number of professional experts and craftsmen who became involved in the construction of guard towers.

Deeply influenced by Western style, aesthetic tastes were profoundly changed. Therefore, the guard towers that emerged during this period were a kaleidoscope of foreign elements. Greek colonnades, Romanesque columns, Medieval European-style turrets, Islamic arch rings and Gothic arches make Wuyi seem like a world architectural museum.

Named after its owner, Ruishi Tower in Jinjiangli Village is known as the first dwelling tower in Kaiping. Completed in 1925, the nine-story mansion covers a land area of 92 square meters and cost HK$30,000. As the tallest tower in Kaiping, the magnificent Ruishi is a complex with a Western-style exterior and a southern Chinese interior decor, symbolizing the high social status and honor of its owner.

History and architecture experts explain that the tower’s most important function was to defend against thieves and bandits. To guarantee the safety of the family living in it, weapons such as handguns and rifles were stored there, and it was equipped with an alarm system. The tower also served as a vehicle for the landlord to show off his wealth and assert his individuality. The largest group of guard towers in Kaiping is in Zili Village, Tangkou Township, with 15 watchtower mansions clustered to provide a spectacular view.

The outbreak of World War II gradually ended the return of Chinese from overseas. With the abolishment of Chinese-exclusion laws in Western countries, more and more Chinese people from the southern provinces emigrated abroad and the construction of guard towers in Wuyi ended. Japan’s defeat in 1945 brought some overseas Chinese back home. But times changed, along with the living conditions, and the construction of guard towers declined. The Jianlu Tower in Liangbao Village, Chikan Township, completed in 1949, was the last one built in Kaiping. After it was completed, however, its owner settled in the United States, never returning to the Chinese mainland, and leaving the property behind.

While the brilliance of the guard towers has faded amid the busy skyline of modern society, the historical, artistic and tourist value of the tower buildings has been highlighted with the initiation of protection and promotion campaigns, and the towers have gained a worldwide reputation. They are rare gifts to the Chinese people and the world’s cultural heritage.

 

More Information
It is estimated that 1,833 guard towers, or diaolou, exist in Kaiping’s 16 townships. The most typical are seen in Tangkou, Baihe, Xiangang and Chikan townships in the central plain. Not many can be found in the hilly areas.
The Kaiping diaolou mainly served as defensive structures and dwellings.
The upper part of the diaolou is built in the form of a colonnade, terrace and castle in a mixture of styles.
Based on the building materials and structures, Kaiping diaolou can be divided into stone towers, lime-sand-clay towers, brick towers (including brick-wood and brick-concrete structures) and steel-reinforced concrete towers. The stone and brick towers were mainly built in hilly areas and have a longer history. The early brick towers were brick-wood structures, and later they were mostly brick-concrete structures.
(Source: www.kaiping.gov.cn，http://www.kaipingdiaolou.com)