Kaiping is a county in Guangdong Province in China that is known for its people’s long history of migration abroad. Waves of migrants made it in foreign countries and returned to Kaiping rich and glorious. These successful returnees built big houses in their villages as family residences. I was drawn to the rather funny looking structures, which are called Diaolou, when I saw introduction of the county. I decided to go.

Some Preliminaries for a Trip to Kaiping, Guangdong, China

Travelling on the High Speed Railway

As with always, my starting point is Hong Kong. The means of transportation that makes the most sense to this part of China is the High Speed Railway (HSR). On each day there is one arrival from Hong Kong to Kaiping. There are many alternative options, however. Multiple trains leave for Kaiping from Guangzhou, so if you are not able to get tickets direct from Hong Kong to Kaiping, consider making a transfer in Guangzhou, or maybe even Jiangmen.

Because I live close to China, I booked my ticket to depart from the Shenzhen North Station. The tip is that, if you travel on HSR from Hong Kong, the tickets can cost well over 1/3 more. Therefore if you actually live closer to China, travelling from Shenzhen North is a more economical option.

Transportation in Kaiping

Once arriving in Kaiping, I made the quick decision to rent a car and driver for the whole afternoon. I just talked to one of those men that approach you at the train station. I paid about 280 RMB for my driver. To be fair, if I had one of those car calling apps (like Didi, Gaode Map), the cost would have been much lower. But the good thing about having someone there wait for you at the sightseeing spots is that, firstly, you can leave your heavy luggage with him in his car as you tour. You would not have that option if you called separate drivers with the apps. Secondly, you would certainly save time as well, because car calling is not always reliable, especially in locations that are not so urban.

He took me around the three primary sightseeing locations in the area. I visited Zili Village, Liyuan Garden and Majianglong Village. At around 5pm, he finally dropping me off at the Ancient City of Chikan, where I was staying for the evening.

The closest urban center to Kaiping is the City of Jiangmen. We would be spending the next day and a half there.

For more tips on travelling in China, please visit my previous entry here.

The Itinerary

I arrived at Kaiping South Station at around 12:45pm or so. I headed over to the three locations of Zili Village, Liyuan Garden and Majianglong Village. I spent a whole afternoon there, until I arrived at the Ancient Town of Chikan at around 5pm. In the first evening in Kaiping, I toured around Chikan with my friend leisurely, and had dinner.

On the second day, we spent the morning and lunch hour in Chikan, until about 3pm when we headed over to the South Tower, which has historical significance as a Diaolou because a group of national heroes died there defending against Japanese invasion.

After the South Tower, we called a car to take us to the 33 Hui (“Hui” meaning market) in Jiangmen. We walked around a photogenic old market area known for its being the set for a TV drama. Sources describe the 33 Hui as “the origin of Jiangmen.”

On the third day, I simply took a tour searching for good food in Jiangmen, then headed home on a train in the Jiangmen Station at around 7pm.

In Their Footsteps

The term “overseas Chinese” refers to the waves of Chinese migrants that left China to make a living in foreign lands. Yet, in a much broader sense, it connotes also the phenomenon of migration that had enormous historical impact in modern China.

The Chinese people that went abroad to work came from all walks of life in the (mostly coastal) communities that they originated. Surely, a whole lot of them went abroad as coolies in the 18^th century. Some made a fortune as a result. Once someone in the village made a living abroad, he then would bring others in the family or the village to also work abroad. One after one, and many villagers in Guangdong made it all over the world.

Besides those that went abroad to do manual labor work, there were also those that went abroad to become educated. They were the elites in China to begin with. In fact, a luxurious Diaolou in Kaiping was built by one of the 120 school children that were sent to study in the United States in the Chinese Educational Mission program of the 19^th century.

Many of the Chinese people that went abroad were nurtured in all aspects of western tradition. A lot of them were the stalwarts of the 1911 Revolution, led by Dr. Sun Yatsen.

And the Diaolou’s of Kaiping are remarkable testaments to the lives and perspectives of the overseas Chinese in China. I called them “funny looking” because they were built in the Chinese eclectic architectural style. The structures exhibited characteristics that were at once Chinese and western, but could not be “boxed” within the traditions of either. The Diaolou’s served to meet the needs of a traditional family home for the overseas Chinese returnees, but furthermore incorporated the features, appearance and utility that typified western expectations of luxurious homes.

In Kaiping, the large population of overseas Chinese returnees have resulted in innumerable appearances of these Diaolou’s. In all of Kaiping, the tall, slender Dialou’s at least three stories high have sprawled in the county’s otherwise rustic landscape. Even now, they are the very soul of Kaiping’s economy and history.

The Diaolou’s are the spirited manifestation of the sentiments that defined the identity of a whole generation of overseas Chinese. They were themselves the story. They were themselves the footprints of a historical phenomenon that has continued to this day.

Let us then walk in the footsteps of the overseas Chinese in Kaiping, and trace the lives of the sojourners that made the world their home.