Zili Village Diaolou Cluster

　　    It is made up of three natural villages inhabited by the Fang clan: Anheli (commonly known as Litouzui), He'ani (commonly known as Xincun), and Yong'ani (commonly known as Huangniling). In the 17th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1837), Litouzui was the first to establish a settlement. The village layout harmonizes with the surrounding natural environment, featuring a scattered arrangement.

　　    At the beginning of the settlement, there were only two residences surrounded by farmland. Later, as more land was purchased, additional homes were gradually built. After the Opium Wars, living conditions became harsh, and with capitalist countries in need of labor for industrial development, many villagers from Kaiping were recruited as overseas workers. The people of Zili Village began emigrating during this period. Over time, more and more followed suit. After earning money abroad, they returned to buy land and property, then went back overseas—repeating this cycle. In the 1920s, due to rampant banditry and frequent floods, some overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macau used part of their savings to build diaolou (fortified towers) and residential buildings. These structures were usually named after their founders or according to their wishes. The diaolou are tall, often four or five stories high, with two to three standard floors. Their walls were constructed with reinforced concrete or concrete-wrapped blue bricks, and the doors and windows were made of thick iron plates. Except for the blue bricks, which were produced locally in Lougang, materials such as iron bars, iron plates, and cement were imported from abroad. The upper structures of the diaolou include cantilevers on all sides, at the four corners, at the front, or at the back. Architecturally, many feature foreign influences—such as columned verandas, terraced designs, castle styles, or mixed styles. To defend against bandit attacks, the diaolou typically had gun ports. Early defenses included tools like cobblestones, alkaline water, and water guns, later supplemented by firearms purchased overseas by returning overseas Chinese. The purpose of the water guns was to spray alkaline water at approaching bandits, blinding them and forcing retreat. To strengthen self-defense, many women learned to shoot. Some diaolou were built based on blueprints brought back from abroad, while others were designed without formal plans, reflecting the owners’ personal creativity. The foundations were typically made by driving pine piles with a three-star hammer. Once the piles were set, to avoid weather disruptions and facilitate construction, a large sun hat-shaped shelter made of palm leaves was often erected over the site. Construction teams usually consisted of 20–30 local “masons,” who earned about six dimes (equivalent to three double-dimes) per day, while general laborers earned four dimes (two double-dimes).

　　    The village currently preserves 15 diaolou, listed in chronological order of construction: Longsheng Building (1917), Yangxian Villa (1919), Qiuan Residential Tower (1920), Yunhuan Tower (1921), Ju'an Building (1922), Yaoguang Villa (1923), Zhulin Tower (1924), Zhen'an Building (1924), Mingshi Tower (1925), An Tower (1926), Yinong Tower (1929), Yesheng Residential Tower (1930), Guansheng Residential Tower (1934), Lansheng Residential Tower (1935), and Zhan Tower (1948).

　　    The most exquisite diaolou is the Mingshi Tower. This six-story building has a hall and rooms on the first floor, living quarters on the 2nd to 4th floors, ancestral worship space, columned verandas, and a four-corner cantilever tower on the 5th floor, and a central hexagonal watchtower blending Chinese and Western styles on the 6th-floor terrace. The interior retains complete furniture, household facilities, production tools, and daily-use items.

　　    The diaolou of Zili Village are exquisitely built, well-preserved, harmoniously arranged, and staggered in layout. Surrounded by vast fertile fields and the fragrance of rice, walking along the rural paths and through groves of trees and bamboo leads directly into the village, evoking a strong sense of entering a paradise.