The Fortified Towers Of Kaiping

In the Quangdong region of China there exists remarkable buildings that were influenced by architecture from Europe and other parts of Asia. These tower structures are unlike any type of architecture found in the country.

"The Diaolou were a response in the Ming period to the banditry which plagues the area, although all extent towers were built in the Qing period which lasted from 1644 – 1912 and the several decades after. Although they were mostly used to protect the villagers from bandits, some of them were designed to be lived in permanently. Some were used simply as watch towers, meaning that there are three distinct form of Diaolou to be found in Kaiping county."

http://www.kuriositas.com/2010/07/fortified-towers-of-kaiping.html