Guangdong's Jiangmen City has long been a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from home and abroad due to its iconic Kaiping Diaolou and Villages. Recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, Kaiping Diaolou and Villages features multi-storey defensive houses that showcase a complex and vibrant fusion of Chinese and Western architectural and decorative styles.

Dating back to the late Ming Dynasty, the Diaolou reached their peak during the 1920s–1930s. Over time, many of the once-thriving buildings were overrun with weeds. How to keep the World Cultural Heritage Site alive? In Tangkou, a town boasting 536 registered Diaolou, the local government, NGOs, and architects have developed strategies that enable communities to flourish within these historic spaces.

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Reported by Zhou Hongdou

Video by Luo Yuan

Edited by Yin Juewen