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

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

Kaiping Diaolou is the only "World Heritage" in Guangdong Province and is definitely worth a visit. But if you can only visit one of the many Diaolou scenic spots, then choose "Zili Village". Although it does not have the beauty of "Liyuan", it excels in being more numerous, larger and more comprehensive, concentrating on a variety of architectural styles such as watchtowers, villas and houses. It also has the typical village layout of the Siyi area, with a pond at the entrance of the village, a land temple in front of the village and a private school in the village. Overseas Chinese returning from all over the world have also brought back different architectural styles here. The most famous "Ming Shek Building" is the home of "Huang Si Lang" played by Chow Yun-fat in the movie "Let the Bullets Fly". Be sure to go up to the building to have a panoramic view. After visiting Zili Village, I felt very complicated. If it weren't for the pressure of life, who would be willing to leave their hometown? If it were a peaceful and prosperous time, who would confine themselves in a watchtower!

Ruishi Tower is one of the most exquisite diaolou in Kaiping and is known as "Kaiping's First Tower". Built in 1923, the tower is 9 stories high (about 35 meters) and combines Chinese and Western architectural styles, featuring elements such as Greek domes, Roman arches, and Baroque carvings. It is a microcosm of modern Chinese culture. [Experience] Ruishi Tower is part of the "Jinjiangli Diaolou Cluster", which consists of 3 diaolou. Tickets are CNY 50 per person. Ruishi Tower is definitely a highlight of Kaiping diaolou. As it is a private building, it is recommended to spend CNY 20 to climb the tower (the owner will also explain the history of the diaolou in detail). In addition to climbing to the top for photos, there is a small green hill behind the parking lot at the entrance of the scenic area. You can climb up to take photos of the "First Tower" from a higher vantage point 😄; finally, there is the alley leading to Ruishi Tower (Figures 5-6). [Kaiping Diaolou] ① Zili Village Diaolou Cluster & Li Garden: Filming location of "Let the Bullets Fly", a must-see diaolou ② Majianglong Diaolou Cluster: Diaolou located in a bamboo forest ③ Jinjiangli Diaolou Cluster: Ruishi Tower, Shengfeng Tower, Jinjiang Tower ④ Chikan Ancient Town: Century-old arcade streets and diaolou [1-day itinerary] Kaiping Zili Village Diaolou Cluster - 3.6 km - Li Garden - 14 km - Majianglong Diaolou Cluster - 9.5 km - Jinjiangli Diaolou Cluster [2-day itinerary] Day 1: Kaiping Zili Village Diaolou Cluster - 3.6 km - Li Garden - 3.5 km - Chikan Ancient Town (stay in the ancient town) Day 2: Chikan Ancient Town - 9 km - Majianglong Diaolou Cluster - 9.5 km - Jinjiangli Diaolou Cluster [Ticket information]: Tickets for each scenic area can be purchased separately or as a package (single attraction tickets are valid for the day, package tickets are valid for 2 days; except for Ruishi Tower in Jinjiangli, the others have shuttle buses) Zili Village Diaolou Cluster: CNY 78 per person Li Garden: CNY 100 per person Majianglong Diaolou Cluster: CNY 50 per person Jinjiangli Ruishi Tower: CNY 50 per person (CNY 20 per person to climb the tower) Li Garden + Zili Village package: CNY 150 per person Diaolou Cultural Area package: CNY 180 per person (4 diaolou clusters)

|Avoid the crowds and experience Kaiping’s Diaolou time. My dears, do you want to avoid the crowds and take a special trip during the Spring Festival? Then I must recommend you this unpopular small city in Guangdong - Kaiping! It has a unique Kaiping Diaolou complex and is the only World Heritage town in Guangdong. It is full of treasures✨ 🚶 Here is a great route for a one-day tour in Kaiping: 📍Xianfeng Tianxia Granary Bookstore→Zuzhai Village→Cangdong Village→Liandeng Tower→Zhongjian Tower ⛪️Must-visit beautiful attractions: 1️⃣ Cangdong Village🎫Free During my trip to Kaiping this time, my favorite Diaolou is in Cangdong Village. This village has a long history of more than 700 years. The Bingwen Xie Gong Temple, Houcheng Xie Gong Temple and Huanye Tower at the entrance of the village are all meticulously crafted and full of the charm of time. The watchtowers were built by overseas Chinese to resist foreign enemies. Look at the marks on the brick walls, they are all witnesses of history. The best shooting spot is right in front of the pond at the entrance of the village, where you can capture the beautiful reflection of the tower in the water, and you can make a blockbuster movie in minutes📸 2️⃣ Zuzhai Village🎫Free Compared to Zili Village, I prefer Zuzhai Village. There are very few tourists here. The manor with terraced buildings, also known as "Diaozhuang", is particularly spectacular and has a history of hundreds of years. The murals, wood carvings, stone carvings and other craftsmanship are super exquisite. There is also a 3A-level Internet celebrity toilet nearby, which is also worth visiting~ 3️⃣ Zhongjian Building + Liandeng Building🎫Free These two towers can be reached in less than ten minutes on foot. There is no trace of commercialization at all and they are very well preserved. Zhongjian Building was built in the seventh year of the Republic of China. It is a 5-story Gothic building with a unique appearance. Liandeng Building also has a history of 100 years. Its Byzantine-style dome is full of artistic sense🎨 4️⃣ Pioneer Tianxia Granary Bookstore🎫Free This branch of Pioneer Bookstore is known as one of the most beautiful bookstores in China! The five granary-style buildings cleverly integrate the local characteristics of Kaiping. The interior design of the bookstore is amazing, with minimalist aesthetics and a full sense of space. You must not miss it when you come here~ 🚗Transportation Guide: If it is convenient, it is recommended to drive yourself🚗 You can easily visit these watchtowers and ancient villages in one day, and you can also encounter watchtowers scattered in different villages along the way. The scenery along the way is super beautiful. If you choose public transportation, you can take the high-speed rail to Kaiping South Station, and then take a ride to reach the various Diaolou~ After visiting these Diaolou in Kaiping, I deeply understood why it can become a world cultural heritage. These old buildings and the history behind them are really an irresistible reason to travel🥰

Life advice: You must visit the Kaiping Diaolou Transportation: I drove here with my friends. It took about 1.5 hours from Guangzhou. I recommend driving because the diaolou clusters are far apart. If you don't drive, you can take a high-speed train from Guangzhou, which takes about 1 hour. Tour route: It was already noon when we drove from Guangzhou to Kaiping, so we found a restaurant in Chikan Ancient Town. The food was unexpectedly delicious. After lunch, we went straight to the famous Zili Village. There are many small diaolou on the way from Chikan Ancient Town to Zili Village, which you can visit for free. After arriving at Zili Village, we bought tickets for CNY 78 per person. Zili Village is the village with the most concentrated diaolou. The ticket includes access to 3 diaolou, including Yeshengluju, Lanshengluju, and Mingshilou. Mingshilou is the most magnificent both inside and out. It was a filming location for Let the Bullets Fly! The rooftop is a great place to take photos, so don't miss it! After visiting Zili Village for 3 hours, we went to the neighboring Zuzhai Village and visited the legendary internet-famous toilet, as shown in picture 18. It is called the Zuzhai Village AAA Tourist Toilet. Next to it is the World Heritage Corridor Bridge. In addition, Zuzhai Village also has many diaolou. You can visit the Guanyin Hall, Foxiaolou, and other buildings in Diao Zhuang for CNY 30. It's definitely worth a visit! Due to time constraints, we didn't have time to visit Liyuan Garden and the Majianlong Diaolou Cluster. If you want to explore in depth, it's a bit rushed to visit 3 places in one day with a combo ticket, so I recommend visiting over 2 days. So I'll save these two places for next time! Kaiping is definitely a place I'll visit again. I highly recommend it! You'll definitely feel the deep love of overseas Chinese for their homeland and marvel at the brilliance of folk architecture. The Kaiping Diaolou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so history and architecture lovers shouldn't miss it!

Autumn in Guangdong can be so romantic! In a few days, Kaiping will welcome golden rice fields, and harvesting will begin in mid-to-late November, so you should enjoy the autumn scenery while the rice fields are at their best and visit the World Heritage Site - Kaiping Diaolou. . There are now more than 3,000 diaolou in the Wuyi area, with the most concentrated in Kaiping. The diaolou are witnesses to the political, economic, and cultural development of Kaiping. They not only reflect the history of the hard work of the people of the hometown of overseas Chinese, but are also a living museum of modern architecture and a unique art gallery. . Zili Village has 15 diaolou and houses with different styles, exquisite shapes, and rich connotations. The diaolou are tall, mostly four or five stories, with standard floors of two to three stories. It is understood that the earliest building in Zili Village is Longsheng Building, built in the eighth year of the Republic of China, and the latest is Zhanlu, built in the thirty-seventh year of the Republic of China. The upper structures of each diaolou are different, with four sides cantilevered, four corners cantilevered, and rear cantilevered, with different architectural styles. . 📸Zili Village is the filming location of the movie "Let the Bullets Fly". The diaolou in the movie can be visited up close, and you can also see traces of the original owner's life, with many household items left intact. Liyuan and Zili Village are also the filming locations of the TVB drama "Short End of the Stick". . Next month's golden rice ears will be as tall as half a person. Walking through the fields is like entering a dreamlike scene from a Hayao Miyazaki animation. The rice will turn golden in early November and will be harvested around mid-November, so you can only experience the golden autumn diaolou scenery for half a month each year, which is very different from the lush green scenery of summer. . 📍Zili Village, Kaiping City, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province 🚗 Genghua Village, Kaiping City, Jiangmen City 🎫 Zili Village 78/person, half price for seniors and children

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

We have visited eight of the eleven cities in the Greater Bay Area. Last weekend, a family of three traveled to Jiangmen, the hometown of overseas Chinese, and it was a relaxing and enjoyable trip. Transportation: I decided to travel at the last minute, but I didn’t buy a ticket for the high-speed rail. There is a cross-border bus at Shun Tak Center in Sheung Wan, and I transfer at Shenzhen Bay Port. The whole journey takes about 3.5 hours. Cross-border buses have many stops in different areas of Jiangmen. You can choose the drop-off point according to the scenic spots you want to visit. Saturday We arrived at the hotel at noon, ate a pot of spicy food nearby and went back to the hotel to rest until we left around four o'clock. The first stop is Pioneer Bookstore (Kaiping Tianxia Granary Store). It was hailed as "China's most beautiful bookstore" by CNN in the United States and "Top Ten Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World" by the British BBC. The five granaries are filled with different types of books, and a spatial art installation is installed on the top of each granary. Visitors can read books, take photos, drink coffee, and buy local cultural and creative products here. No. 6, Xutang West Road, Tangkou, Kaiping City, Jiangmen City It takes about 30 minutes by taxi from Kaiping South High Speed ​​Rail Station After visiting the bookstore for about an hour, I strolled around and admired the Kaiping Diaolou, which features a combination of Chinese and Western styles, including ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and Islam. Kaiping watchtowers and villages were rated as world cultural heritage in 2007, including 4 heritage sites: Sanmenli Village Yinglong Tower, Majianglong Village Group, Zili Village and Fangshi Denglou, and Jinjiangli Village , the village we visited belongs to Zili Village, which has B&Bs and restaurants. Sunday We love outdoor activities and always arrange some hiking wherever we go. Jiangmen Heshan is a county-level city with a relatively large Tea Mountain Scenic Area. Many locals drive here for vacation, eat free-range chicken and visit the mountains and springs. There are many farms along the way, and basically every house has a swimming pool, which is either dug or built along the water flow. We chose the latter, which makes the weather feel hotter. The mountain spring water is really cool. It was still cold when I entered the water after ten o'clock. It took a long time to get used to it. When you arrive at the farm, make an order for lunch first. There are a lot of people on weekends, so if you don’t make a reservation first, you won’t be able to get the food served until noon. We chose the braised method, and the boss said that half a chicken weighed three kilograms, which was enough to eat, and it really supported the three of us. Including side dishes, drinks, and beer, the total consumption is 240 yuan. The return trip is to get on the bus at Heshan Bus Terminal and transfer at Shenzhen Bay Port back to Shunde Center. The whole journey takes about 4 hours. #Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area #江门 #凯平 #河山 #cross-border bus

⛰【Travel Tips】 📍Detailed address: Kaiping Diaolou Cultural Tourism Area - Zili Village Scenic Area 🚗Transportation tips: There is a parking lot with a fee of 10r and charging stations 🕙Opening hours: 9:10-17:50 💰Ticket price: 78 🌟Highlights: Kaiping Diaolou The drone returns automatically when the signal is lost 😭 (Although it's a bit cloudy and drizzling ☔️) The Kaiping Zili Village Diaolou cluster, located in Tangkou Town, Kaiping City, Guangdong, is one of the World Cultural Heritages. It consists of 15 diaolous with different styles, built in the 1920s and 1930s by local overseas Chinese to protect their hometown. These diaolous integrate Chinese and Western architectural cultures and have become a monument to the culture of overseas Chinese. The interiors of the diaolous are preserved with complete furniture and daily necessities, bearing precious testimony to the culture of overseas Chinese.

|Two-Day One-Night Self-Driving Tour Guide. We mainly enjoy a leisurely tour for two days and one night Self-driving🚗: About 1.5 hours' drive from Guangzhou to Jiangmen Hotel🏨: Near Diwang Plaza (close to various scenic spots in the city center) We went during the Qingming Festival, and it was crowded! I suggest you can pick any weekend~ Day1 Route: 📍Thirty-Three Sigh Street (popular photo spot) ➡️ Qiming Lane ➡️ HEYTEA original store ➡️ Hotel🏨 rest ➡️ Eel claypot rice🥢 At Thirty-Three Sigh, we tried the same pig's trotter noodles🍜 as Brother Qiang, which were just so-so haha Qiming Lane is like a creative park, with many beautiful ☕️ shops and photo spots📷 ✅Thirty-Three Sigh and Qiming Lane are next to each other, and the HEYTEA original store is also nearby, exclusive to the original store: Cheezo Citrus Pu'er Tea🍹 (a friend tried it and said it was very good) worth checking out~ 🍽Eel claypot rice: We went to the Xili Ji Taishan eel rice on Shengli Road, the taste was pretty good, but it was super crowded during mealtime, and the service was slow. By the time we finished eating, there was still a dish that hadn't been served Day2 Route: 📍Hotel🏨 ➡️ Kaiping Diaolou🕍 ➡️ Chikan Ancient Town🏘 ➡️ Return trip🚗 Slept in until waking up naturally in the morning, then set off to Kaiping Diaolou, about an hour's drive from Pengjiang District. You need to buy a ticket for 78💰/person to enter Zili Village, which is the filming location for 'Let the Bullets Fly'🎬 Then we went to Chikan Ancient Town, about 15-20 minutes' drive from the Diaolou. It's somewhat similar to Yongqing Fang in Guangzhou haha, 🎫ticket price 60💰/person. Overall, it's quite suitable for a two-day weekend city walk~

Located in Zili Village, Jiangmen City, the Kaiping Diaolou are mostly residential and defensive architectural complexes built by overseas Chinese who returned from abroad during the Ming Dynasty and the Republic of China era. The majority of these buildings belong to the Fang family. There are various formats, including individual households, private courtyards, brotherly arcade buildings, joint buildings by two families, and combined buildings by several families. The basic architectural features are walls that go straight up and down without any handholds, doors and windows flush with the wall surface, the top floor serving as a watchtower, and the other floors as living quarters. Mingshi Lou is the filming location for 'Let the Bullets Fly' and is the only diaolou open for public visits. It has a flat entrance hall that serves as a kitchen and storage for agricultural tools, and there are also residential areas, with a small courtyard, totaling six floors in height. The first floor is a reception hall with bedrooms, from the second to the fifth floor the middle is a hall with bedrooms on both sides, and there are also kitchens, suggesting that each floor is occupied by one family. The sixth floor is the ancestral hall, and above that is the watchtower and observation deck, offering a panoramic view of the entire Zili Village.

🚩In order to provide everyone with a real travel experience, I specially recommend the ancient towns around Guangzhou with a strong New Year atmosphere, which are niche, good for shooting and fun🎊 ✨I really love the city of Kaiping, which is directly accessible by high-speed rail and only 1h+ away from Guangzhou🚝 🤩Kaiping Diaolou, as a World Cultural Heritage site and one of the representatives of Lingnan culture, every visitor will be shocked by the architectural complex here! Zili Village is a typical representative~ 🎈In addition to the Diaolou, I also highly recommend Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town! The retro arcade old street, dressed in national style, takes pictures with a strong sense of crossing the Republic of China📸 🧨If you can only go to one ancient town during the Spring Festival holiday, I would definitely recommend here! A 2-day and 1-night itinerary full of New Year's atmosphere🎊 Day①🎈 Guangzhou→Kaiping South→Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town→Check in at Meitang Hotel (The tourist service center can directly transport luggage to the hotel, which is super convenient)→Start to visit the scenic area 11:00 Rong'an Building🎇 The big spring couplets really have a New Year atmosphere 11:30 Station Square🎊 You can see the same intangible cultural heritage flower cards without going to Hong Kong! You can also encounter lively lion dance performances 12:00 Niuxi Road Snack Street🥘 Specialty charcoal pot rice, tofu corner and other delicious snacks are waiting for you to taste! In this century-old arcade, there are also New Year's big calendars, spring couplets, wealth walls and other New Year scenes, eat and stroll, enjoy leisurely slow time 14:00 Dragon Year Tram🚃 Riding a 30min tram through the century-old street, as if crossing to 'Blooming' in a second🎞