【正文】 longwinded introduction to Diaolou, I am now guiding you to see watchtower clusters. One thing I have to point out is that they differ quite a lot in styles, as towers of this kind were built in different periods of time.Diaolou Clusters in Zili Village A showcase of Diaolou Clusters is in Zili Village. This village lies in Tangkou Town, about 12 kilometers from Kaiping city center. It enjoys the most exquisite, bestpreserved, densely located buildings of such kind. Fifteen houses in existence in this village are all ranked as cultural relics of national importance under the protection of the state. Mingshilou, a fivestorey residential house, is the fanciest. It was built in 1925, made of armored concrete. At its top stands a hexagonal observation tower, displaying a fusion of Chinese and western structural and decorative forms. On every corner of its fifth floor rises a hornwork. Local people called them “Swallow nest”. As you can see, this house has a massive body, solid iron doors and windows. It has quality designed furnishings and plete living facilities.Yinglonglou in Chikan Town The oldest is Yinglonglou (Dragon Meeting Tower) in Chikan Town. It was built in the period of Jiajing, Ming Dynasty (15221566). The design and construction of this house was free from the exotic architectural influence.Rouishilou in Xiangang Town The highest and most luxurious Diaolou in Xiangang Town is Ruishilou. The ninestorey tower is 25 meters in height, made of armored concrete. The indoor elegant furnishings are arranged in a traditional Chinese style. It is ranked as No. 1 tower in Kaiping.Denglou of Fang’s Family in Tangkou Town The most typical Diaolou belongs to the Fang’s clan. It was built in 1920, made of armored concrete. Located in an open area, this typical vigil tower was designed to watch neighborhood security. It was equipped with such defensive devices as electric generators for emergency, searchlights, and firearms. Did you notice that we are back to Tangkou Town? Anything else to see in this town? Yes, a garden called Liyuan.Kaiping Liyuan Liyuan is located in Beiyi Village, Tangkou town. This village is known as the hometown of many overseas Chinese. Completed in 1936, it is a stately home with a canal, two gardens and many other things. Liyuan takes in and displays the elements from both Chinese and western garden. The two Chinese characters “LiYuan” are there on the tall arched gate. Liyuan is divided into three areas: villa area, big garden area and small garden area. Its main constructions include a torii with the two Chinese characters “Li Yuan”, a decorated archway with the four Chinese characters “Xiu Shen Li Ben”, four kiosks on the bridges, and two ancient romanstyle structures (“bird’s nest” and “vine kiosk”). Couplets and calligraphy from famous people that we see here and there create traditional Chinese cultural milieu in Liyuan. A canal was dug to bring together the aforementioned three areas. Long cloisters go along with the water. Spotted on the canal are small bridges, kiosks and pavilions. The design of the canal is the most eyecatching feature in Liyuan. Walking along the cloister with colored paintings for 100 meters, we will e to Li Yuan’s villa area. “Pan Li” and “Pan Wen” are the two most spectacular villas among the total of six. From the design of the villas, we can see the bination of Chinese and western elements. The roof of the villa follows the architectural styles of Ancient Chinese palaces while its body adopts western architectural patterns. The stairs, floors, the decorations of the walls are not the exception. Telling examples are the westernstyle fireplaces, droplights, Italian ceramic tiles, Chinesestyle mahogany furniture, folktale frescos and gilded woodcarvings.Liyuan enjoys not only an exquisite art of architecture, but also rich traditional Chinese culture. The host of Liyuan held the philosophy of life that selfcultivation is the most important thing in one’s life. So when he placed emphasis on cultivating lofty virtues, he encouraged to have high quality leisure time.3 The Ancestral Temple in Foshan Sightseeing SitesIndroduction __ The Triple Doorway Entrance __ The Front Hall __ Between the Front Hall and the Main Hall __ The Jinxiang Pond __ The Wanfu Stage __ The Huang Feihong Memorial HallIntroduction The Ancestral Temple, first built during the Northern Song Dynasty (10781085), is an ancient structure in Foshan City. The original structure was destroyed by fire during the Yuan Dynasty (12061368) and was rebuilt in 1372 during the Ming Dynasty. The temple was formerly called “Ancestral Hall” and was a shrine for the workers of the metalcasting industry to worship their ancestral masters. It was turned into a Daoist temple during the Ming Dynasty, because the Ming emperor believed in Daoism. Now it houses the Foshan City Museum. The temple is built in the style of the Chinese traditional architecture. Its building plex is pactly laid out with the halls interspaced by courtyards and connected with corridors. Its roofs are constructed in the traditional “Xieshan” style, that is, each roof has a horizontal ridge at the top, which is joined at both ends by four inclined but bentup ridges, with a slope on each of the four sides. The roof structure is supported by a wooden system of brackets inserted between the tops of columns and the crossbeam. These wooden brackets are connected by mortise and tenon joints and not a single nail is used for connection. While being constructed in the national architectural style, the temple structure is unique in the way it is decorated, the way that is characteristic of Guangdong Province. Pottery sculptures, lime sculptures, brick carvings, wood carvings and other works of art can be found on the ridges, the eaves, the walls or elsewhere. These works of art are not only used for the purpose of decoration but are also de