Chikan European Style Street
Chikan European Style Street
3.5
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3.5
67 reviews
Excellent
15
Very good
24
Average
22
Poor
3
Terrible
3
Douglas M
Guangzhou, China2,914 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
This was the final attraction of our day after national day, one-day coach trip from Guangzhou. It was only a few minutes’ drive from the Li Garden Village visitor’s centre (TA review for Kaiping Diaolou and Villages) and is part of the Chikan Ancient Town Qiaoxiang International Travel Resort to give it its full name.
Another one hour to explore and be tempted to spend our meagre funds. Actually, there’s quite a bit of history in the form of a few oldish buildings. The eight or nine story watchtower is the centre piece of the history, the European street is more akin to the Sino-British architecture surviving in Guangzhou.
Visiting the watchtower was an extra ¥60 and the street, which nobody was interested in, and across the water from the main shopping street.
Anyway, we strolled along the shopping street and then back. A packet of local biscuits and a couple of small wicker baskets were our only purchases. At the end of the street is a large 21st century arched roof giving welcome protection from the sun. I was given a small Chinese flag to wave so I looked more like a local by a nice lady.
On the left is the magnificent bus station, I didn’t see any buses, but I suppose they couldn’t get through the traffic.
Then it was an amble back to the coach for the non-stop two-hour drive back to Guangzhou. A nice day out for ¥100 each.
Another one hour to explore and be tempted to spend our meagre funds. Actually, there’s quite a bit of history in the form of a few oldish buildings. The eight or nine story watchtower is the centre piece of the history, the European street is more akin to the Sino-British architecture surviving in Guangzhou.
Visiting the watchtower was an extra ¥60 and the street, which nobody was interested in, and across the water from the main shopping street.
Anyway, we strolled along the shopping street and then back. A packet of local biscuits and a couple of small wicker baskets were our only purchases. At the end of the street is a large 21st century arched roof giving welcome protection from the sun. I was given a small Chinese flag to wave so I looked more like a local by a nice lady.
On the left is the magnificent bus station, I didn’t see any buses, but I suppose they couldn’t get through the traffic.
Then it was an amble back to the coach for the non-stop two-hour drive back to Guangzhou. A nice day out for ¥100 each.
Written 5 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yellow Wakandan
New York8 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
My mom grew up in Chikan. She went to that place many times when she was a kid, for free, before this place got re-developed and commercialized. When we got there, she immediately noticed that a big part of this place was newly constructed, and it's not the "ancient town" or "old town" that they advertised. However, some of the streets in the back, far away from the entrances, have remained intact.
Overall, it still has the European look and vibe if that's what you're looking for. But, be aware that this place is neither "ancient" nor "old" as it's been advertised. Even the tallest building, 荣安楼, was constructed quite recently.
Overall, it still has the European look and vibe if that's what you're looking for. But, be aware that this place is neither "ancient" nor "old" as it's been advertised. Even the tallest building, 荣安楼, was constructed quite recently.
Written 19 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steven G
Kaiping, China9 contributions
Oct 2014 • Business
Chikan was the center of things in terms of economy in kaiping all the way up until the communists’ takeover. Now, the center of commerce is in downtown Kaiping. Being a vibrant economy for such a long time, Chikan has many treasures. The architecture was built in a style unique to Chikan. Overseas Kaiping people and Tai Shan people came back with hard-earned money and built this town with strong European influence. The town has a very special story. The two main clans in Chikan are the Guan(Kwan) or Situ (Seto) clans. They compete in everything from who has the biggest library to who is better-off. The rivalry of these two clans contributed the first library in Kaiping, an imported clock tower from Germany and the US and so on.....
Written 14 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danzelho
Singapore, Singapore195 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
Heading to Chikan town was a simple affair as we took bus #6 in Kaiping county at a cost of 3 Yuan per person. We jostle with the morning crowd onto the bus. It was pretty obvious that most people on the bus knew each other as they interact in lively conversations, and whenever someone have alighted, the next boarding passenger will just pick up the conversation from where it was left off as though he knew beforehand what was being said. The bus travel out of the city onto a narrow straight road filled with potholes, and i am already getting so use to the way of how Chinese drivers have the tendency to accelerate at every single chance. Overtaking a slow-moving vehicles by cutting lane, weaving through traffic or accelerating on a clear straight route, and usually the passengers are oblivious to it, or maybe they are just so used to it. We were dropped off at the final stop which is a small terminal and also a tourist information centre.
It was like time had stood still, and we were transported back in time to the 19th century. Dilapidated Qilou (骑楼) buildings (Chinese arcade-houses) desperately needing a fresh coat of paint, line along the deserted road, with only a handful of locals and the occasional motorbike riding past. Walked down the streets, and we realised how ramshackle the whole town look. Except the motor vehicles and the simple electronics, it seems like modernity have abandon Chikan town.
Qilou buildings is a typical form of urban dwelling orginated from Europe but altered and constructed according to Chinese influence. It is a protruding structure, or arcade, stretching above from the second storey over the sidewalk, and is largely similar to shop-houses found in South East Asia, but come with the distinctive design of succession of arches. Qilou buildings are usually 3 to 4 storeys high, featuring open balcony on every level, ethic motif like auspicious characters and a blend of western classical elements decorated the facade of the buildings. “Buildings, like people, have stories to tell about their community’s and the nation’s past. Embedded in historic structures and landscapes are traces of past lives that are clues to how our ancestors lived, and how life today evolved.”
Apparently, most of the money use to construct these qi-lou were pass through Hong Kong from overseas, as that is the only way of how most foreign goods are being imported into China in the past. One of the sources of Western aesthetic influence on the diaolou and qi-lou appears to have been the colonial buildings in Hong Kong, which the emigrants had to pass through on their outward and inward journeys, and more generally, those of the British Empire as a whole, from Scottish mansions to Mogul India. Other elements were picked up by the emigrants in the various countries where they worked. I guess the emigrants replicated the design and decorative features from some other architectural which they came across, because certain motifs and design recur from one diaolou to another, such as window and door frame adornments.
I can only imagine the glorious past of this town, as what is left are just old and faded facade. People go by with their daily chores, and run their business at ease with no intention of improving their living surroundings or enhancing the environment. I was immensely curious as for why people were unconcern living in such a condition, where the houses seems like it might fall apart anytime. Had a short chat with a lady who works at her dad’s eatery for her entire life, and was told that most people who still stay at Chikan old town are people from other provinces who works in the vicinity as farmers or odd-job labours. Many of the rightful owners of this qi-lou have moved out into the newer buildings across the river, rented it out, or their whereabouts unknown.
Preservation of the qi-lou is not an aspirations of the common people, and most of them are just looking forward to earn enough in order to move out to the city. I guess it makes more economic sense by securing a new piece of land and constructing your own building, rather than tearing the existing old buildings down and rebuild.There are rumors of a big conglomerate hoping to buy over the entire Chikan town, and make it into a fancy tourist attraction. I certainly hope this will not happen.
We stayed at a local hostel across the river which you are also able to rent a bicycle as well. If you are travelling solo or on a budget, i will recommend that you take the local buses or the tourist bus that is provided at the terminal. Cycling is a good mode of exploring the countryside, however the distance between the different diaolou village are quite far.
We cover the 4 major UNESCO inscribed diaolou villages within 2 days. There are not much activities at night in the town except enjoying some local food and beers. Go during the weekdays if you wish to avoid the crowd, however when i was there during the weekend, the amount of people is still tolerable.
lastdiscovery(dot)wordpress(dot)com
It was like time had stood still, and we were transported back in time to the 19th century. Dilapidated Qilou (骑楼) buildings (Chinese arcade-houses) desperately needing a fresh coat of paint, line along the deserted road, with only a handful of locals and the occasional motorbike riding past. Walked down the streets, and we realised how ramshackle the whole town look. Except the motor vehicles and the simple electronics, it seems like modernity have abandon Chikan town.
Qilou buildings is a typical form of urban dwelling orginated from Europe but altered and constructed according to Chinese influence. It is a protruding structure, or arcade, stretching above from the second storey over the sidewalk, and is largely similar to shop-houses found in South East Asia, but come with the distinctive design of succession of arches. Qilou buildings are usually 3 to 4 storeys high, featuring open balcony on every level, ethic motif like auspicious characters and a blend of western classical elements decorated the facade of the buildings. “Buildings, like people, have stories to tell about their community’s and the nation’s past. Embedded in historic structures and landscapes are traces of past lives that are clues to how our ancestors lived, and how life today evolved.”
Apparently, most of the money use to construct these qi-lou were pass through Hong Kong from overseas, as that is the only way of how most foreign goods are being imported into China in the past. One of the sources of Western aesthetic influence on the diaolou and qi-lou appears to have been the colonial buildings in Hong Kong, which the emigrants had to pass through on their outward and inward journeys, and more generally, those of the British Empire as a whole, from Scottish mansions to Mogul India. Other elements were picked up by the emigrants in the various countries where they worked. I guess the emigrants replicated the design and decorative features from some other architectural which they came across, because certain motifs and design recur from one diaolou to another, such as window and door frame adornments.
I can only imagine the glorious past of this town, as what is left are just old and faded facade. People go by with their daily chores, and run their business at ease with no intention of improving their living surroundings or enhancing the environment. I was immensely curious as for why people were unconcern living in such a condition, where the houses seems like it might fall apart anytime. Had a short chat with a lady who works at her dad’s eatery for her entire life, and was told that most people who still stay at Chikan old town are people from other provinces who works in the vicinity as farmers or odd-job labours. Many of the rightful owners of this qi-lou have moved out into the newer buildings across the river, rented it out, or their whereabouts unknown.
Preservation of the qi-lou is not an aspirations of the common people, and most of them are just looking forward to earn enough in order to move out to the city. I guess it makes more economic sense by securing a new piece of land and constructing your own building, rather than tearing the existing old buildings down and rebuild.There are rumors of a big conglomerate hoping to buy over the entire Chikan town, and make it into a fancy tourist attraction. I certainly hope this will not happen.
We stayed at a local hostel across the river which you are also able to rent a bicycle as well. If you are travelling solo or on a budget, i will recommend that you take the local buses or the tourist bus that is provided at the terminal. Cycling is a good mode of exploring the countryside, however the distance between the different diaolou village are quite far.
We cover the 4 major UNESCO inscribed diaolou villages within 2 days. There are not much activities at night in the town except enjoying some local food and beers. Go during the weekdays if you wish to avoid the crowd, however when i was there during the weekend, the amount of people is still tolerable.
lastdiscovery(dot)wordpress(dot)com
Written 11 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joseph Hsien Ts... L
zhuhai, China29 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
Update of the old town of Chikan Kaiping Guangdong province
I recently made a trip to the Chikan Kaiping in the Guangdong province. It is located on the west side of the Pearl River delta and about some 150 km south of Guangzhou. The reason going there is that the city was famous as the home town of many overseas Chinese. After the overseas Chinese made fortune, they returned back there to retire and “modernize” the town. There were a lot of historical buildings and the most famous one were the Kaiping Diaolous, which were fortified multi-storey towers mainly built for protection purpose. Though they are not architecturally interesting but they displayed features distinct from the traditionally Chinese rural areas and patty fields surrounding them. They stood out as structure with heavy influence from the western world. My trip was not really to see them but the National Historic and Cultural Town of Chikan. There were many historical buildings that might be over hundred years old and also strong with western flavor. There were also late-Qing dynasty and early-Republic historic Tonglaus. These structures spanned over about three km of “European Styled Street” along the river side of the Dixi Road
To my disappointment, the area is now under a regeneration project by the local government. It will not be a tourist attraction for may be another five years
I recently made a trip to the Chikan Kaiping in the Guangdong province. It is located on the west side of the Pearl River delta and about some 150 km south of Guangzhou. The reason going there is that the city was famous as the home town of many overseas Chinese. After the overseas Chinese made fortune, they returned back there to retire and “modernize” the town. There were a lot of historical buildings and the most famous one were the Kaiping Diaolous, which were fortified multi-storey towers mainly built for protection purpose. Though they are not architecturally interesting but they displayed features distinct from the traditionally Chinese rural areas and patty fields surrounding them. They stood out as structure with heavy influence from the western world. My trip was not really to see them but the National Historic and Cultural Town of Chikan. There were many historical buildings that might be over hundred years old and also strong with western flavor. There were also late-Qing dynasty and early-Republic historic Tonglaus. These structures spanned over about three km of “European Styled Street” along the river side of the Dixi Road
To my disappointment, the area is now under a regeneration project by the local government. It will not be a tourist attraction for may be another five years
Written 11 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Calvin2224
Singapore, Singapore9 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
The scene is reminiscent of old Penang, Malacca and Singapore. Visit before it gets overwhelmed by domestic tourists drawn there by the movies that were made there.
Written 1 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew_Alin
Greater Adelaide, Australia1,628 contributions
Given the number of tourists that come through chikan, you'd think the provincial government would allocate some funds towards street cleaning and garbage removal...
As it is, chikan is very old, and not in a nice way ... very dirty, very run-down, very very crowded with big domestic tour groups ...
Yes, there is a movie park, but not particularly interesting unless you are a big fan of chinese dramas.
If you're on a budget or short on time, this should be the first item to scratch off your to-do list.
As it is, chikan is very old, and not in a nice way ... very dirty, very run-down, very very crowded with big domestic tour groups ...
Yes, there is a movie park, but not particularly interesting unless you are a big fan of chinese dramas.
If you're on a budget or short on time, this should be the first item to scratch off your to-do list.
Written 21 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
engrob84
Hong Kong, China320 contributions
June 2018 • Couples
This town is currently under renovation as the government is turning it into some sort of theme park. This means that you can't access all of it and there's a lot of scaffolding. However, if you're passing by it's still interesting enough to warrant a stop.
Written 2 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EastmeetsWestAB
London, UK2,375 contributions
Mar 2018 • Friends
We stayed here overnight and this area is more or less becomes a ghost town. Majority of these buildings are now empty and boarded up. All it left are just buildings . Empty with no soul. It does gives a different view of life.
Apparently the rebuild programme will takes 2 years. Let's hope these buildings would be look after properly.
Apparently the rebuild programme will takes 2 years. Let's hope these buildings would be look after properly.
Written 11 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
3lgdz
Manila, Philippines1,462 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
Chikan 赤坎 is a historic village 10 km SW of Kaiping. What's the main attraction for tourists here is a photo of the streets of shophouses flanking a river. The buildings here are called qilou 騎樓, which was built by overseas Cantonese merchants in the 1920s. There are a lot of vendors selling their wares here - such as dried meats and duck kidneys - although they cater more to the local market. Take a photograph of the row of qilous from the main bridge. The clouds are reflected on the water, creating an appealing effect.
When we visited, a shop sold oranges here without the peels for 1 CNY per bag. They prefer to dry the peels and sell them to flavor tea for a higher price. The fruits are not so sweet, though. But they aren't overwhelmingly sour.
You can spend some time checking out the shops lining the river, but that shouldn't take more than 15 minutes of your time. Whether the shophouses or qilou are a prime example of classic, aging architecture, or just another collection of old, dilapidated buildings ready to be demolished, is up to you. But in the end, people still live in the area going about their business- and the photograph by the river is a reason to drop by. Besides, there's no entrance fee.
Lastly, I think the movie set (with admission fee) can safely be skipped by foreign tourists.
A visit here shouldn't take more than 30 minutes of your time.
When we visited, a shop sold oranges here without the peels for 1 CNY per bag. They prefer to dry the peels and sell them to flavor tea for a higher price. The fruits are not so sweet, though. But they aren't overwhelmingly sour.
You can spend some time checking out the shops lining the river, but that shouldn't take more than 15 minutes of your time. Whether the shophouses or qilou are a prime example of classic, aging architecture, or just another collection of old, dilapidated buildings ready to be demolished, is up to you. But in the end, people still live in the area going about their business- and the photograph by the river is a reason to drop by. Besides, there's no entrance fee.
Lastly, I think the movie set (with admission fee) can safely be skipped by foreign tourists.
A visit here shouldn't take more than 30 minutes of your time.
Written 9 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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