Discover a diaolou-themed park

Diaolou Time Park is a nice little community park in Guanhu Subdistrict, Longhua District. Photos from WeChat account "szlhrmfb"

Longhua District is renowned for its Hakka roots which can be traced back 600 years ago. Many centuries-old diaolou buildings, formerly fortified multistory watchtowers in rural villages, can still be found in the district’s old villages such as Guanlan Printmaking Village, Shangwei Art Village and New Who Art Village.

             One of the five diaolou buildings in Diaolou Time Park. 

Diaolou Time Park, located at the Songyuanxia community in Guanhu Subdistrict, is a nice little community park where visitors can have a glimpse into the ingenuity of the architects and craftsmen in the early 1900s, while local residents could enjoy leisure activities.

The park is home to five diaolou buildings, namely Chen Kangfa Diaolou, Chen Heshun Diaolou, Chen Daoren Diaolou, Chen Xiantang Diaolou and Yongxiu Diaolou. They were originally built in the old villages in the Songyuanxia area in the early 1900s by overseas Chinese and their local descendants. In 2011, due to renovations in the villages, the five diaolou buildings were removed and relocated to the pocket park.

A diaolou is seen in Diaolou Time Park. 

Visitors can discover fish-shaped drainage gutters on some of the five diaolou buildings. In the past, decorations in the shapes of fish, dragons or hornless dragons were commonly used in water spouts and gutters. In Chinese mythology, the dragon was the omnipotent ruler over water and rainfall.

A fish-shaped drainage gutter is seen on a diaolou building in the park.

On the walls of the Chen Kangfa Diaolou, visitors can observe carvings in the patterns of bats holding longevity peaches or coins, symbolizing longevity and good fortune befalling. In Chinese pronunciation, “bat” is the same with “blessing” and “money” is the same with “before” (here, “before” then means “before one’s eyes”). Meanwhile, according to Chinese folk legends, longevity peaches ripen every 3,000 years and grant immortality to humans when consumed.

The Chen Xiantang Diaolou collapsed in a rainstorm in 2012 and what visitors could see now is a modern silkscreen printed glass installation, a unique way to bring the old diaolou back to life.

In 2012, the Chen Xiantang Diaolou collapsed in a rainstorm and what visitors could see now is a modern silkscreen printed glass installation, a unique way to bring the old diaolou back to life.

Through renovations and designs, Diaolou Time Park has enlivened the historical buildings and the public can experience the past and the present. Despite the surrounding high modern buildings, the diaolou buildings’ unique and quaint shape makes them stand out in the bustling city.

Venue: Diaolou Time Park, Guanping Road, Longhua District (龙华区观平路碉楼时光公园)

Metro: Line 4 to Songyuanxia Station (松元厦站), Exit A