Event Detail

13
May
2026

Kaiping’s Watchtowers & The Emigrants Who Built Them

DeDe Huang & Peter Stuckey
Wednesday, 13 May 2026
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Complimentary Drinks from 6.45 pm; Talk at 7:30 pm
The HK Management Association, 14/F, Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive, Central

Travellers to the “Siyi” or Four Counties area west of Macau, are immediately struck by the thousands of elegant and often fanciful five-storey towers that dot the landscape.  These are the century-old “diaolou” watchtowers, that bring a touch of storybook romance to a region that remains largely agricultural, albeit with striking industrial incursions.

Kaiping’s Watchtowers & The Emigrants Who Built Them

In a richly-illustrated presentation, Dede Huang and Peter Stuckey tell the story of these “diaolou”.  They explain the towers’ original purpose and construction, and of the courageous villagers and emigres behind them.  They also discuss the recent restoration to glory of certain “diaolou” and how guests can visit them from Hong Kong.

Dede draws on her own family’s journey from Kaiping to San Diego in the 1880s to bring alive a larger story of migration and adaptation.  Peter shares his expertise as a researcher for over 15 years, and an active participant in a “diaolou” rehabilitation project in Kaiping that earned a UNESCO Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

In 2007, UNESCO granted World Heritage designation to four clusters of “diaolou” in the Kaiping district.  These sites make an easy and fascinating weekend excursion from Hong Kong. 

 

In a richly-illustrated presentation, Dede Huang and Peter Stuckey tell the story of these “diaolou”.  They explain the towers’ original purpose and construction, and of the courageous villagers and emigres behind them.  They also discuss the recent restoration to glory of certain “diaolou” and how guests can visit them from Hong Kong.

Dede draws on her own family’s journey from Kaiping to San Diego in the 1880s to bring alive a larger story of migration and adaptation.  Peter shares his expertise as a researcher for over 15 years, and an active participant in a “diaolou” rehabilitation project in Kaiping that earned a UNESCO Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

In 2007, UNESCO granted World Heritage designation to four clusters of “diaolou” in the Kaiping district.  These sites make an easy and fascinating weekend excursion from Hong Kong. 

Dede Huang previously served as Director of Development at Canadian International School of Hong Kong, where she led fundraising and strategic development initiatives. She is currently a consultant for Splash Foundation.

Peter Stuckey was born in Plymouth and graduated from Cambridge University. He came to Hong Kong in 1977 as a Civil Engineer to work on landslide preventive measures.

Peter is closely involved with the Tangkou Community Project in Kaiping, Guangdong, a heritage revitalisation initiative focused on preserving diaolou architecture, promoting sustainable conservation, and supporting cultural exchange and rural community development.

Members of the RGS and their guests are most welcome to attend this event. The ticket is HK$200 for RGS Members and HK$250 for RGS members' guests.  This event is free of charge for student members. 
 

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The opinions expressed in this event are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong.
For an overview of our programmes and achievements, please see the RGS-HK Annual Review 2020–2024, available for download here or as an interactive flipbook here.

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