Yinglong Lou, Sanmenli
三门里迎龙楼
The oldest surviving diaolou in Kaiping, a red-brick tower built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty. It marks the starting point of the diaolou's evolution.
Yinglong Lou lies in Sanmenli Village, Chikan Town. Built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, it is the earliest surviving diaolou in Kaiping and a component of the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages World Heritage Site. Its three stories have thick red-brick walls, with large blocks of red sandstone at the base. The style is simple, in contrast to the Sino-Western diaolou built by overseas Chinese in the Republican era, and it shows how diaolou evolved from village public buildings for flood control and defense against bandits. Few visitors come, and admission is free or low-cost (subject to on-site information). It can be visited on the same day as Chikan Old Town.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Nanlou Diaolou
- Chikan Overseas Chinese Town
- Fangshi Denglou (Lantern Tower)
- Zili Village Diaolou Cluster
- Liyuan Garden
- Fengcai Hall
- Majianglong Village Cluster
- Taicheng Qilou Arcade Streets