The Fortified Towers Of Kaiping

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The original fortified towers of Kaiping in China date back to the seventeenth century. Most of the 1800 or so that remain were built in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In structure they seem remarkably un-Chinese, with many architectural features from different parts of the globe.

However, rather than European architects trying to fuse their own styles this is a result of Chinese emigrants to the US and Malaysia returning to Kaiping and blending what they had seen abroad with what they had at home. The result - some quite remarkable buildings.

(thanks Robert-John)