Watchtowers are one of the more spectacular and functional architectural traits brought back to the homeland by the overseas-traveling Chinese of Kaiping. In the early 20th century, many people of Kaiping left the continent to work in the Western world. When their savings were sufficient, they would send money home to their families. In Kaiping, those recipient relatives were often considered to be wealthy.
But these were also years of turbulence and societal instability, and these wealthy families frequently became the target of bandits, often to the point of ruin. To protect their families and properties, the overseas Chinese built watchtowers using blueprints created by foreign architects with whom they contracted abroad.
 Thus, the Kaiping watchtowers are in various architectural styles, including Greek, Roman, Gothic, Islamic, Baroque and Rococo. But the interior structure of the watchtowers features elements typical to homes situated south of the Five Ridges.
Incorporating a concrete defense of five to seven floors, each watchtower was built with sturdy walls, iron gates, small windows with steel shutters and ports for defense and observation. Though elegant in design, the structures were indeed a formidable defense.
Because today their owners live abroad throughout the year, most of the watchtowers in Kaiping have fallen into disuse, but the historic structures remain--a cherished and admired part of the architectural cityscape.
(Source: China Pictorial) Previous
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