Major city · China
Kaiping开平
Give Kaiping 1–2 nights, not a day trip: the diaolou villages are 15–30 km apart and the joint ticket is valid two days.Give Kaiping 1–2 nights, not a day trip: the diaolou villages are 9.3–19 mi apart and the joint ticket is valid two days.
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- CNY
- Best months
- Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr
- avoid Jun–Sep (heavy rain and typhoon season), Chinese New Year week
- Airports
- CAN · ZUH
- Nights
- 1–2
Rules in force · 7
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
- China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
- China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
- China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
- China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.
Kaiping is a county-level city in Jiangmen, Guangdong, on the Tanjiang River about 140 km from Guangzhou. Its countryside holds hundreds of diaolou — early 20th-century watchtower houses built by overseas Chinese in mixed Western and Chinese styles. Four village clusters (Zilicun, Sanmenli, Majianglong, Jinjiangli) form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sights are spread over a large rural area, so a base in town or in Chikan or Tangkou works better than a rushed day trip.
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Kaiping, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 (≈ US$30) carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones…China-wide
- SIM or eSIMA roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.China-wide
- Tap waterNot for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5 (≈ under US$1), and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms.China-wide
- TippingRestaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.China-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/C/I. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): fits. 220 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.China-wide
- SafetyKaiping is a low-crime rural area and safe for tourists; the real risks are summer heat and rain, unstable buildings in abandoned villages…
- RestroomsPublic toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls.China-wide
- Emergency numbers110 police · 119 fire · 120 ambulance (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysMany museums and palaces close on Mondays; the Forbidden City too (outside holidays).China-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportCAN Guangzhou Baiyun International (High-speed rail from Guangzhou South to Kaiping South, then taxi or bus; allow 3–4 h door to door).
- Getting aroundThe diaolou are spread over a large rural area, so a car or hired driver is the efficient option: drivers wait at Kaiping South station and around…
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee or café meal¥30–60 (≈ US$5–9)
- Metro or bus rideLocal bus ride¥2–10 (≈ US$1–2)
- SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥100–200 (≈ US$14–30)
- Budget bedHostel or village inn bed, a night, per personCN¥80 (≈ US$12)
- Mid-range bedDouble room, downtown hotel, a night, per roomCN¥350 (≈ US$50)
- High-end bedDouble room, downtown hotel, a night, per roomCN¥800 (≈ US$120)
A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥300 (≈ US$45) · Mid CN¥600 (≈ US$85) · High CN¥1,200 (≈ US$170)
Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- CAN Guangzhou Baiyun International (High-speed rail from Guangzhou South to Kaiping South, then taxi or bus; allow 3–4 h door to door) · ZUH Zhuhai Jinwan (Bus from the Zhuhai border area to Kaiping, a little over 2 h)
Weather and climate
Kaiping: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
19°C66°F
12°C53°F
8 rd
Feb
20°C69°F
13°C56°F
9 rd
Mar
23°C73°F
16°C62°F
12 rd
Apr
27°C80°F
21°C69°F
14 rd
May
30°C86°F
24°C75°F
17 rd
Jun
32°C89°F
26°C78°F
19 rd
Jul
33°C91°F
26°C79°F
18 rd
Aug
33°C91°F
26°C79°F
18 rd
Sep
32°C89°F
25°C77°F
14 rd
Oct
29°C84°F
22°C71°F
8 rd
Nov
25°C77°F
18°C64°F
6 rd
Dec
21°C69°F
13°C56°F
6 rd
High / low °C°F · rd = rain days
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
The diaolou are spread over a large rural area, so a car or hired driver is the efficient option: drivers wait at Kaiping South station and around ¥300 covers about a half day (5 h) of sightseeing — agree the route and total before you set off. Local buses reach most diaolou villages but may leave you walking 1–2 km; tourist shuttles between sites run infrequently. Biking is excellent: the land is flat and some village lanes are too narrow for cars. A marked walking route, the Kaiping Cultural Tourism trail of hometown of overseas Chinese, links several villages on foot.
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Door to door: About 1.5 h
Bus or car south from Kaiping, about 1 h
More overseas-Chinese arcade streets and a different county town; pairs well with a Kaiping base.
Central Jiangmen
goDoor to door: About 1–1.5 h
High-speed rail or bus to Jiangmen, 30–60 min
The prefecture city; useful for onward rail and city services.
Enping
cautionDoor to door: About 2 h
Bus or car southwest, about 1.5 h
Hot springs and countryside; better as an overnight than a return day.
Door to door: About 2.5–3 h
High-speed rail from Kaiping South to Guangzhou South, then metro
Doable as a day trip by rail, but you will see more by sleeping in Kaiping and returning.
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Kaiping downtown (Sanbu)
Standard modern Chinese town: hotels, malls, bus stations, easiest transport. 20–40 min by car to the main diaolou villages.
Chikan
Arcade market town on the river, 20 min by bus 106 from downtown; guesthouses and hostels, good for cycling the countryside. Old town has been under renovation since 2017 — check what is open.
Tangkou
Closest base to Zilicun and Liyuan; village inns and hostels among the fields.
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- ¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
- Mid
- ¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
- High
- ¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Double room, downtown hotel1 × 2 nights × CN¥350 | CN¥700 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CN¥600 | CN¥2,400 |
| Diaolou joint ticket (four villages plus South Tower)2 × CN¥180 | CN¥360 |
| Liyuan and Zilicun joint ticket2 × CN¥150 | CN¥300 |
| Hired car and driver, half day (about 5 h)1 × CN¥300 | CN¥300 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥150 | CN¥300 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | CN¥436 |
| Trip total≈ CN¥1,199 per person per day, bed included | CN¥4,796≈ US$700 |
2026 estimate in yuan; long-distance transport excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Clay pot rice (bāozǎifàn)Vegetarian version often available. | ¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6) |
| Vegetarian buffet lunch | about ¥20 (≈ US$3)/person |
| Coffee or café meal | ¥30–60 (≈ US$5–9) |
| Bottle of waterVillage entrances have free water refill machines. | ¥2–5 (≈ under US$1) |
| Local bus ride | ¥2–10 (≈ US$1–2) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥100–200 (≈ US$14–30) |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- Village sites close early: Zilicun shuts at 17:30 and the diaolou start locking up around 17:00.Village sites close early: Zilicun shuts at 5:30 PM and the diaolou start locking up around 5:00 PM.
- Chikan old town has been under renovation since 2017 and work was expected to run several years — check before you build a day around it.
- Baidu Maps misses many small rural roads; ask locally, and Cantonese or the Kaiping dialect helps in villages.
- Abandoned villages such as Dengbian (Village without People) have unstable buildings — stay on worn paths and do not enter the diaolou.
- Tipping is not expected; taxis at the station may quote high, so agree the fare first.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 110
- Fire
- 119
- Ambulance
- 120
Pocket card
Fill in, then print or save as PDF
Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.
Kaiping开平
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
—
—
—
请到这个地址To this address, please
Emergency
- Police110
- Fire119
- Ambulance120
Embassy
No embassies in Kaiping; most countries have consulates-general in Guangzhou and embassies in Beijing.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Kaiping South station → downtown: taxi ¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6), about 15 min
- Hired car, half day: about ¥300 (≈ US$45) for 5 h
- Bus Guangzhou → Kaiping: about ¥57 (≈ US$8), about 2 h
- Bus Macau/Zhuhai border → Kaiping: about ¥70 (≈ US$10), a little over 2 h
Say or show
- 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
- 谢谢 — Thank you (xièxie)
- 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duōshao qián)
- 可以刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by card? (kěyǐ shuākǎ ma)
- 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ)
- 请带我去这个地址 — Please take me to this address (qǐng dài wǒ qù zhège dìzhǐ)
Mobile payment (Alipay or WeChat Pay) is the norm; set it up before you arrive. Carry some cash for village tickets and small stalls.
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Kaiping. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr · avoid Jun–Sep (heavy rain and typhoon season), Chinese New Year week · month by month →
- 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contract for CAN and ZUH: last rail and bus departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
- Four diaolou clusters with rescue anchors: Zilicun, Liyuan, Majianglong, Jinjiangli, plus Chikan and Sanmenli.
- Place pages with verified cutoffs (Zilicun 17:30, South Tower 08:30–17:30) and eat pages with last orders for clay pot rice.
- Rain and typhoon fixtures so gates A–D can go green in Jun–Sep.