Zìlì, 11km west of Kāipíng, has the largest collection of diāolóu historic watchtowers, though only a few of the 15 are open to the public. The most stunning is Míngshí Lóu (铭石楼), which has a verandah with Ionic columns and a hexagonal pavilion on its roof. It appeared in the film Let the Bullets Fly . Yúnhuàn Lóu (云幻楼) has four towers known as ‘swallow nests’, each with embrasures, cobblestones and a water cannon.
Next to the village is Fang Clan’s Dēng Lóu (方氏灯楼), aka Light Tower, because of its powerful searchlight. Admission is free.
