[Explanation] On the occasion of the 44th World Heritage Conference, Zhang Guoxiong, the chief expert of "Kaiping Diaolou and Villages" inscription, came to Kaiping Zili Village and told reporters about the history and current situation of Kaiping Diaolou.

　　[Explanation] Kaiping Diaolou in Jiangmen is gradually becoming known as the main location for the film "Let the Bullets Fly".

Kaiping Diaolou, which appeared in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, was built in a large number in the 1920s and 1930s. It is a multi-storey tower-style building integrating defense, housing and architectural art. There are 1833 existing.

Why did Kaiping build so many watchtowers?

Zhang Guoxiong introduced that in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, before the county was established in Kaiping, bandits were rampant, and local people began to build watchtowers to protect themselves.

In addition, due to frequent flood disasters in Kaiping, flood control is also an important function of the Diaolou.

　　[Concurrent] Zhang Guoxiong, Chief Expert of "Kaiping Diaolou and Villages", Director of Guangdong Overseas Chinese Culture Research Center

　　Later, it developed to the point where, for example, many schools in this place have developed. The safety of the lives and property of teachers and students needs to be protected by watchtowers, so many schools also build watchtowers.

So we have seen such a period of history, it reflects the social security of that era.

　　[Explanation] It is worth mentioning that the combination of Chinese and Western is a major feature of Kaiping Diaolou which is different from traditional vernacular architecture in other parts of China.

　　For example, under the western-style mountain flowers of each tower, there is a Chinese-style plaque inscribed in the niche.

Western architectural elements such as Greek colonnades, ancient Roman columns, and cylindrical guard towers of medieval European castles can all be found in Kaiping Diaolou.

Why does Kaiping Diaolou incorporate Western architectural elements?

Zhang Guoxiong told reporters that this is because Kaiping is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese. After returning home, many overseas Chinese living in Europe and the United States not only brought back funds, but also brought back a strong European and American style.

　　[Concurrent] Zhang Guoxiong, Chief Expert of "Kaiping Diaolou and Villages", Director of Guangdong Overseas Chinese Culture Research Center

　　As soon as we got off the expressway and entered Kaiping, the towers and villas we saw in the villages along the way all had the characteristics of Western architecture.

In fact, it is the different cultural psychology produced by overseas Chinese in different countries and cultures.

So they came back to rebuild this hometown.

Diaolou is a concrete thing they want to transform their hometown.

　　[Explanation] On June 28, 2007, Kaiping Diaolou and villages were included in the "World Heritage List" by UNESCO, becoming the first world heritage project in Guangdong and the first world heritage project in the international "immigrant culture".

　　[Concurrent] Zhang Guoxiong, Chief Expert of "Kaiping Diaolou and Villages", Director of Guangdong Overseas Chinese Culture Research Center

　　It is characterized by watchtowers, and at the same time it combines the humanistic environment on which the village and watchtower depend and the natural environment on which it depends.

For example, this village and its farmland, its ponds and its river system.

It is not just a protected single tower building, it is actually a concept of cultural ecology.

　　[Commentary] The reporter saw in Zili Village that after becoming a World Heritage Site, many residents still live here.

Some of the watchtowers are open to visitors, and they contain the owner's original furnishings.

Tan Yijun, director of the Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports of Kaiping City, told reporters that the integration of cultural and tourism is the biggest highlight of local heritage protection. With more and more tourists, local villagers are getting more and more ticket dividends.

　　[Concurrent] Tan Yijun, Director of the Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports of Kaiping City

　　There are still many original residents living here in this scenic spot.

Including their usual life is the same, unchanged.

Through tourism, we are creating 5A scenic spots, and we got 5A last year.

With an improvement in software and hardware, everyone can see that the entire scenic area is very clean.

And we conducted a training with the villagers, and welcomed tourists and visiting guests warmly.

Because only if you make this watchtower and this scenic spot better and better, there will be more and more tourists, and their income will increase accordingly.

This is also a way to realize the revitalization of our village, so that the villagers can truly enjoy the benefits brought to them by such tourism and cultural relics.

　　[Explanation] According to Tan Yijun, another way for Kaiping City to protect "Kaiping Diaolou and Villages" is to integrate cultural relics with culture.

　　[Concurrent] Tan Yijun, Director of the Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports of Kaiping City

　　There are several Diaolou and Julu, everyone can go in and see that there are certain exhibitions inside, and there are certain stories in them.

Visitors can only learn through these exhibitions when they come. Our hometown of overseas Chinese is like this, and our world heritage is like this.

　　[Concurrent period] Li Riming, former chairman of Kaiping Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Diaolou Research Scholar

　　The name of the tower, the name of the tower, and the couplets written on it all come from the heart.

Through this building name and couplet, we can recognize our older generation of overseas Chinese, their thoughts and feelings are very rich.

One of the more prominent is patriotic feelings.

　　[Commentary] Tan Jinhua, director of the Overseas Chinese Culture Research Center in Guangdong's hometown of overseas Chinese, introduced to reporters that local villagers and many overseas Chinese are actively participating in the protection of cultural heritage.

　　[Concurrent] Tan Jinhua, Director of Guangdong Overseas Chinese Culture Research Center

　　They also established a foundation to protect this tower.

One descendant is in Vancouver. He is an architect and he is very good at painting.

He went back on his own and published a book about how their ancestors went abroad to show them to the offspring overseas.

　　[Explanation] It is reported that "Kaiping Diaolou and Villages" as a world cultural heritage requires regular monitoring every year, including the structure of the Diaolou, the authenticity of its appearance, and the monitoring at the village level.

This will ensure the long-term health of Kaiping Diaolou and the village.

　　Reporter He Junjie Sun Qiuxia Cai Minjie reports from Kaiping, Guangdong

Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】