[2025 Kaiping Attraction] Travel Guide for Liyuan (Updated Mar)

The owner of Liyuan was Xie Weili, who had spent significant time living in the United States. The name of the property came from the last character of its owner’s name, Li. Construction for the property began in 1926 and it took ten years to finish all the structures. The buildings in Liyuan came in the style of the Chinese eclectic. Some of them are properly Diaolou’s, serving both residential and defensive purposes. The Yupei Villa is a tower type watchtower villa. As Xie Weili named this building with his own childhood nickname, it is a tower of love as the memorial built for Xie Weili’s second wife, Tan Yuying. Tan Yuying was a very talented woman that died giving birth the year after she was married to Xie Weili. The tower is four story high and open for visits. Its location being in the garden, it impresses visitors with a kind of atmosphere that is calm, artsy and pleasing. Italian décor lines the exterior of this tower. The general areas of tour interest in the Liyuan Garden are the Villa Zone, with clusters of structures with especially beautiful interiors. It is worth going in for a look. Then there is the gardens featuring beautiful buildings and structures, such as pavilions, bridges, manicured gardens, granite gateway, open air corridor and a very special Vine Pavilion. #diaolou #kaiping #jiangmen #china #southchina #guangdong #xieweili #historicalsites #历史古迹

Jiangmen’s autumn is so romantic‼ ️ Autumn in Guangdong can also be very romantic~ Take advantage of the off-season to visit Jiangmen Zhouwei and enjoy the autumn! The rice fields are at their most beautiful in this season. The ears of rice are half as tall as me. Walking in the fields is like dreaming into a Miyazaki cartoon. It's too beautiful to be true. The rice fields will be harvested soon La, caught up with the last wave~ 📍Zili Village, Kaiping City, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province 🚗Genghua Village, Kaiping City, Jiangmen City 🎫Zili Village: 78 yuan 🎫Liyuan: 100 yuan 🎫Liyuan＋Zili Village joint ticket: 145 yuan 🕙Opening hours: 08:30 to 17:30

There is such a place, in the depths of a vast farmland and green bamboo forest, a truss-like tower suddenly stands in the middle of it, in the sunset, silently telling stories about prosperity, vicissitudes and struggles. This place is Kaiping. Although the ancient buildings here are particularly broken, there are wonderful and unpredictable charms that are faintly presented. They prove the lifestyle of the overseas Chinese and form a place full of exotic pastoral customs. The idyllic nature. The landscape, combined with the exquisite craftsmanship of man-made architecture, attracts more and more people to find all kinds of imaginations. Liyuan is a private garden. It was built ten years by Mr. Xie Weili, a Chinese-American overseas Chinese. It was initially built in the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936).

Leaving Shaoguan, we continued southwest and arrived in Kaiping at noon. We got off the expressway and had a meal at Zhuyilou Restaurant. The three-course raw fish meal was large, delicious, and cheap. We found that the food in small cities is very distinctive and cheap. After lunch, we visited Kaiping Diaolou, a unique building complex in Guangdong Province, China, which has a history of 100 years! In those turbulent times, Kaiping was often hit by floods and bandits. To protect their homes, many Kaiping people chose to do business in Southeast Asia. After making money, they returned to their hometowns to build diaolou. There are more than 3,000 diaolou in Kaiping. We went to the Zili Village Diaolou Cluster. We visited it a few years ago, and now it has become a 5A scenic spot. The diaolou in Kaiping are all similar, combining Chinese and Western styles. The couplets at the entrance are very distinctive. We hired a local tour guide who was very familiar with the scenic spot. Most of the villagers here have the surname Fang. Their ancestors were the son-in-law of the emperor in the Southern Song Dynasty and moved here from Henan. The most beautiful diaolou has the largest box, which contains Cantonese embroidery given to the owner by relatives and friends for his birthday. After leaving Zili Village, we visited Li Garden. The most exquisite and luxurious diaolou with artistic value is Li Garden in Genghua Village, Tangkou Town. Li Garden is not just a diaolou. It is actually a private garden with a diaolou, a house, a garden, and a country villa. The tour guide we hired here was $j&%... He just recited the textbook, and the content was from the middle school textbook. When asked a question, he just smiled and continued reciting. Li Garden has its own canal! For safety, a tunnel was dug in the house to the wharf. There are couplets everywhere, which are worth reading. The bird's nest is a building that the lady likes very much. The hollowed-out window is like a paper-cut window, and the top of the nest is like a Roman castle. There is also a place to have afternoon tea. When we arrived, it was almost closing time. The staff made us a meal and then got off work. The cheongsam shop next door was already closed, so we didn't have a chance to see it.

Visit Kaiping during the Lunar New Year and experience the festive atmosphere and ancient charm! This highly recommended 2-day tour guide will help you explore the unique charm of this small city! -------- Must-see attractions: 🌟 Chikan Overseas Chinese Town: This area is full of the charm of the hometown of overseas Chinese. The arcade buildings that combine Chinese and Western styles will make you feel like you are traveling through time and space, experiencing the close combination of foreign and local cultures. 🏰 Zili Village Diaolou Cluster: Stroll through the countryside and you will find 15 diaolou (watchtowers) in different styles. The fusion of Chinese and Western architectural art will leave you wanting more. 🌳 Li Garden Diaolou Cluster: It feels like you are walking into the Grand View Garden in Dream of the Red Chamber. The fusion of classical and modern styles makes every corner a beautiful scene and every scene has a story. -------- Tips: - Respect local customs and avoid making loud noises in ancestral halls and other historical sites. 🤫 - Driving or chartering a car is the main mode of transportation in Kaiping, so plan your route in advance. 🚗 - Try local specialties such as Kaiping dried tofu and Magang goose. 🦢 - Compare prices at several stores before buying local specialties to avoid being overcharged. 💰 -------- A trip to Kaiping is not just about diaolou and villages. There are more local customs and practices waiting for you to explore. Start your unique journey now!

Kaiping 2-day tour, not to be missed! Follow this guide to easily explore Kaiping and make your trip more fun and fulfilling. Save it now! -------------------- Attractions: Chikan Overseas Chinese International Tourism Resort ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍Address: No. 18, Guzhen Avenue, Chikan Town, Kaiping City ⏰Opening hours: 09:00-22:00 🕰️Duration: 3-4 hours The town is full of overseas Chinese style, with Chinese and Western arcade buildings complementing each other. Every step is a different view, with a unique charm. Zili Village Diaolou Cluster ⭐⭐⭐ 📍Address: Kaiping Diaolou, Kaiping City, Jiangmen City ⏰Opening hours: 09:10-17:50 🕰️Duration: 2 hours The diaolou here combine Chinese and Western architectural styles. 15 exquisite diaolou are dotted among the fields, making for a beautiful sight. Li Garden Diaolou Cluster ⭐⭐⭐ 📍Address: Genghua Village, Tangkou Town, Kaiping City, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province ⏰Opening hours: 09:00-17:55 🕰️Duration: 2-3 hours It feels like walking into the Grand View Garden in Dream of the Red Chamber. Each diaolou has a unique story. Jiangmen San Shisan Xu Street ⭐⭐⭐ 📍Address: Xingning Road, Pengjiang District, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province ⏰Opening hours: All day 🕰️Duration: 2-3 hours Walking on this ancient arcade street, it feels like traveling back in time. Every step on the slope is a step on history. -------------------- 🧳 Travel Checklist: 👚 Clothing: Kaiping is a bit cold in January, so bring a thick coat, sweater, and comfortable shoes for walking and sightseeing. 🎒 Accessories: Hats and scarves are warm and stylish. Don't forget a power bank, data cable, and camera to capture beautiful moments. 🆔 Documents: ID card, cash, and bank card, as well as travel insurance. Safety first, travel with peace of mind. -------------------- A trip to Kaiping is not just about diaolou and villages, but also countless surprises waiting to be discovered. Go on a spontaneous trip!

Before coming here, most of the online guides highly recommended Li Garden for its splendor, nobility, and beauty. It stands out from other diaolou and is said that visiting just Li Garden is enough when coming to Kaiping Diaolou. Visiting only Li Garden once became my travel goal. 👀 Among the four ticketed scenic spots of Kaiping Diaolou, the other three are natural villages, while only Li Garden is a self-contained garden. The Xie family, after three generations of hard work abroad, returned home as the richest family in Kaiping and built this first garden of Kaiping, blending Chinese and Western styles. Here, there are not only diaolou villas but also garden layouts, water town scenery, self-developed artificial canals, and walls that separate the villa area from the large and small gardens. There are archways, bridges, pavilions, corridors, and scenic spots at every step. The independent water supply system and modern sanitary facilities, with villas equipped with flush toilets and bathtubs, indeed set Li Garden apart from other diaolou. However, this is just a manor of the Xie family, telling only the story of their own heritage. As a cultural heritage, it requires a multi-layered and multi-dimensional perspective to seek common ground while reserving differences. Thousands of diaolou on this land interpret the historical origins of the overseas Chinese culture, a grand view of the fusion of various exotic architectural styles such as ancient Roman, ancient Greek, and Islamic, showcasing a splendid diversity. Residential buildings can also portray the epitome of an era. Although Li Garden is good, just seeing this one is far from enough. 👀 I entered Li Garden at dusk. Although the staff urged that the diaolou was closing and we couldn't enter for an internal visit, the gray-blue windows on the milky yellow exterior walls were closing one by one. But at this time, the sunlight was the gentlest of the day, with light yellow and hazy blue, and dark green. The Chinese dougong and flying eaves with Roman columns presented a unique elegance and noble beauty that blended Chinese and Western styles. The fiery red bougainvillea was in full bloom, with Li Garden's exclusive labels on the flower pots. A glance back revealed a quiet place with small bridges and flowing water, the water town scenery remained the same, only missing the sound of women washing clothes by the river and the hustle and bustle of household life. There were very few tourists. A father with an eight or nine-year-old girl was entering and exiting the diaolou one by one, patiently explaining and listening attentively. This father-daughter affection was precious. Even though this was the home of the richest family in Kaiping, with the first wife having six sons and three daughters, and three wives giving birth to five sons and five daughters, with a large family and many descendants, I wonder if there was ever a moment of such unique fatherly love? Or perhaps, it was just the construction of the 'Yunmei' residences in a row, indicating equal treatment for each son. 👀 I didn't walk through every corner of the garden, nor did I see every pavilion and building, nor did I enjoy the leisure of setting off in a small boat to drink tea. Leaving at closing time, the father and daughter were still at the entrance. The father wanted to take another look nearby, but the daughter didn't want to go. One was calling, the other was hesitating, back and forth, just like the growth of life, always with a sense of familial attachment and separation. The descendants of the Xie family, far away from their homeland, looking back at their old home, would probably have the same mindset. 💡 The four scenic spots joint ticket for diaolou is 180, valid for two days. Visiting only Zili Village and Li Garden is worth the price, making this ticket cost-effective. 💡 Although the evening sunlight is beautiful, it's backlit for shooting Panwenlou and Panlilou. Morning should be better. 💡 On the way from Zili Village to Li Garden, you can see many diaolou in the villages along the roadside. 💡 There are no dining facilities in the park, it's convenient to eat in Tangkou Town. 2024.8

After coming out from Jinjiang Li, I went to have some eel rice first, and it was already three o'clock in the afternoon when I entered Liyuan. The parking lot didn't seem very crowded, so I figured there wouldn't be too many people inside the garden either. 🌟 Highlights: Liyuan is located in Genghua Village, Tangkou Town, Kaiping City, Jiangmen. It is a private garden of Xie Weili, an overseas Chinese from Tangkou Town who lived in America. The name 'Liyuan' implies the idea of 'establishing trees and cultivating people.' Construction of Kaiping Liyuan began in 1926 and was preliminarily completed in 1936. Covering an area of about 19,600 square meters, it combines traditional gardening, Western architecture, and the characteristics of Jiangnan water towns. Its unique architectural style stands out in Chinese gardens, making it one of the more complete gardens in China that integrates Chinese and Western elements. 👍 Most recommended: Liyuan is indeed impressive! It's quite large, with a reasonable layout of residences, gardens, and water systems. The two villas named 'Panli' and 'Panwen' are the most magnificent and spectacular. Their rooftops are built in the ancient Chinese 'double-eave' style, covered with green glazed tiles, cleverly creating a practical insulation layer. The interior floors and stairs are paved with colorful Italian stone, which, after many years, still shine brilliantly and are breathtaking. Plus, the love story of Mr. Xie Weili and his four wives is indeed worth the visit. ⏳ Recommended visiting time: 2 hours 💰 Average cost per person: Adult ticket is 100 yuan, and there is also the option of a combo ticket. 📝 Tips: You can enter the 'Panli' and 'Panwen' villas, although they are exquisite, the stairs are quite steep, and the practicality of the buildings is slightly inferior to that of the Ming Stone Building. 🚉 Transportation strategy: We drove there, which was quite convenient. Small cars are not limited by time, 10 yuan. There is a shuttle bus between the scenic spots🚌, which I saw during the Spring Festival, but I'm not sure if it's available normally.

/ I discovered another treasure place for Spring Festival travel! Just around Guangzhou, the high-speed train can reach you directly in 1 hour This ancient town with a history of more than 370 years is really low-key! More than 600 arcades are full of rich style of the Republic of China🍃 If you don’t know where to go during the Spring Festival~ Come here to experience the strong New Year flavor unique to Guangdong🧨~ / Look at the intangible cultural heritage flower cards and Year of the Dragon lanterns🏮 God of Wealth Parade, Giant Spring Festival Couplets, 🐲Year of the Dragon Dangdang Cars A ceremonial long banquet for thousands of people It’s really half city fireworks and half city tide, full of Lingnan New Year flavor 🔥Two days and one night itinerary: D1: Guangzhou South → Kaiping South → Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town → Stay at Meitang Hotel → Peace Square → Take a rowing boat → Nanyuan Restaurant → Rongan Building to celebrate spring → Check in the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage flower card → Xianglong Banquet → Chizi Square D2: Morning tea guests → Take the Year of the Dragon Dangdang Car → Dixi Road → Didong Road → God of Wealth Parade → Liyuan Garden ． 🔶Roading boat: The boat has passed Wanjianlou, and the oars of the rowing boat are squeaking across the river through the bridge, and you can immerse yourself in the ancient town's style and simplicity. 🔶Dragon car: Exclusive for the Year of the Dragon, take a car tour around the ancient town, see blessings and encounter joy along the way, and feel full of New Year atmosphere 🔶Dixi Road, Didong Road: During the day, you can go shopping and visit arcades, and at night, you must come here to check out the "100-meter dragon lantern"! 🔶Hong Kong intangible cultural heritage flower cards: Hong Kong's long-standing decorative paper tie exudes a strong traditional atmosphere. It is a check-in spot not to be missed. Be sure to take a photo~ 🔶100-meter dragon lantern: As night falls, the lights turn on. The 100-meter long lanterns that are turned on at night are really shocking, exquisite and imposing, and the film production rate is very high ~ it has hit pyq! 🔶New Year activities Year of the Dragon Lantern Festival, Lion Dance, Intangible Cultural Heritage Performance, Chikan God of Wealth... the traditional New Year flavor has been carefully grasped. 🔶Liyuan: Liyuan was the first manor in Kaiping a hundred years ago. It was the private garden of wealthy overseas Chinese businessmen during the Republic of China. It is worth a visit. / ✅Accommodation recommendations: There are many hotels in the scenic area. I stayed at the Meitang Hotel🏨Republic of China style design, black and white main colors, retro tiles, bamboo and rattan chairs, retro telephones... intertwining old memories of Chikan with Western romance ✅Food recommendations: 🔻Xianglong Banquet A must-have for Lao Guang during the Chinese New Year ~ Cantonese Poon Choi, not only has a rich variety of dishes, but also has perfect taste and meaning💯 🔻Morning tea guest Go early in the morning to experience Guangfu's unique morning tea culture, shrimp dumplings, siomai, porridge noodles, etc. You can also check in the New Year's calendar and open a new chapter of the Spring Festival.

The Diaolou in Kaiping, Jiangmen, Guangdong are very famous and each has its own characteristics. For example, the Diaolou in Liyuan can be said to be the gem among the Diaolou. This set of buildings was built by overseas Chinese who returned to the country in the early last century, and there was already a concept of overall planning, so the Diaolou group and gardens here belong to a whole. The buildings in Liyuan are relatively well preserved and have great ornamental value. You must visit here when you come to Jiangmen.

Liyuan is an independent garden. It is a villa garden built by Mr. Xie Weili, a Chinese-American overseas Chinese. It is a garden that has been built for ten years. In my impression, such a large garden should be appreciated by the emperor, but here... its built by people themselves. ... rich. Liyuan Garden is divided into three parts: large garden, small garden and villa area. They are separated by artificial river or wall, and are connected by bridge pavilion and cloister. There is a garden in the garden and there is a scene in the scenery. There are six villas and a tower in the villa area, including the Chinese and Western buildings. The interior and decoration are rich in luxury and elegance. Relying on the Grand View Garden depicted in "Dream of Red Mansions", it is an eclectic mix of classical architecture of Chinese gardens, and integrates the architectural features of villas in Europe and America at that time, achieving the combination of Chinese and Western cultures, and thus has the reputation of "small view garden". The place to enter the gate is the Kaiping Diaolou Group Museum. In this museum, we can see the history of almost all the towers in Kaiping and the history of the formation of the park. It is still worth seeing. Going forward, there is a micro-carved landscape of the tower. It is very architectural. It has a mottled effect when it is placed outdoors for a long time. A small iron window is very cute. Look carefully at the door. The stairs and the stairs inside are all made, its awesome! Go further and enter the villa area. There are six villas in the villa area.