Guangzhou - Jun'anzhen - 82 km
I was like a child with a new toy and couldn't wait to fit it on the bike
and start riding. Occasionally, I checked the map to see if I was on
the right track as I only partially trusted the GPS. However, it worked
like a charm and directed me to Jun’anzhen, which had a hotel. The
rest of the evening was spent downloading the day's information—
quite a magical little thing. Small things do indeed amuse small
minds!
Jun'anzhen – Chikan, Kaiping, Guangdong – 101 km
I clipped in the Garmin and resumed my ride through the
countryside, and what a charming place Guangdong province turned
out. The way led past ancient-looking hamlets and along canals until
arriving in the Kaiping district.
The landscape around Kaiping was most remarkable, revealing
several small but old communities housing fortified multi-storey
towers constructed in the 1920s and 30s. The towers (diaolou) served
two purposes: housing and protecting against bandits. These towers
weren't exactly ancient - the oldest was barely over 100 years old,
but they were pretty remarkable. The towers were scattered around
the countryside, and the plan was to visit them the following day.
There were approximately 1,833 diaolou still standing in Kaiping.
Twenty of the most symbolic ones were inscribed on UNESCO's World
Heritage List.