The last of the Diaolou western-Chinese mix villages in my Kaiping tour was Majianglong Village. I arrived a little bit too late to really enjoy all that it has to offer, but still, I was able to appreciate the special architecture and get a taste of the local feel.
The KPtour website has the background for the village :
The Majianglong village cluster is the perfect example of a Kaiping village in its natural setting. It is a village where the natural resources of the area are used every day, and where man and nature live together in the most harmoniously. In all directions the mountains make their presence felt with their dense cover of vegetation. The mountains are always there in the background, a great green screen to the villages. All five villages, from the northernmost to the southernmost, are surrounded by bamboo woods, with the broad, clear, sparkling Tanjiang River in front. All together these form part of the landscape — the myriad mountains, reflected back from the many clear streams, like a poem or a painting, an absolutely enchanting environment. […]
The Majianglong village cluster consists of the Huang and Guan clans. When the villages were first settled they employed a Feng Shui geomantic master from Jiangxi Province to establish the most auspicious sites for the settlements (this implies finding the optimum way the villages could be fitted into the natural environment). The villages are mostly built on an east-west alignment, preserving for each village the broadest view of the Tanjiang River. The traditional Chinese geomantic skills, seeking sites surrounded by water and pillowed by the mountains have thus formed a perfect environment. […]
There are seven Diaolou in the Majianglong village cluster (the Tianlu Lou, “Heavenly Success Tower”; the Baoanlou, “Preserve Peace Tower”; the Huianlou, “Gracious Peace Tower”; the Qinglin Nanmenlou and the Qinglin Beimenlou “The Tower at the South Gate of Qinglin” and “The Tower at the North Gate of Qinglin”; the Baozhanlou, “Defending Peace Tower”, and the Hedonglou, which takes its name from Hedong Village, “East of the River Tower”), together with eight villas (the Xinlu, “Cottage of Trustworthiness”; the Minlu, “Cottage of Diligence”; the Changlu, “Cottage of Prosperity”; the Junlu, “Outstanding Cottage”; the Linlu, “Cottage in the Woods”; the Zhenlu, “Cottage of Good Fortune”; the Yaolu, “Cottage of Brilliance”; and the Guanlu, “Cottage of Smiles”). Most are built behind the villages but within the dense bamboo woods. These Diaolou and villas are built to different plans and are all in a good state of preservation. They fit in superbly with the nearby village houses and the natural environment.
Walk with me…
Gorgeous village life with a bit of history and unique architecture.
Lots more information and tips on the Don’t Stop Living blog.
A trip summary to soon follow.