The 30m- to 60m-high ancient stone towers scattered throughout the villages overlooking the Dàdù River were built by the Qiāng between 700 and 1200 years ago. Some enterprising families have opened theirs up to those travellers (¥10 to ¥20) who are willing to climb log ladders 6m up to the entrance.
Household towers were signs of status, and were used to store precious goods (and family members during wartime). Village towers were taller, built for conducting religious rituals, demarcating borders, and passing smoke signals. In wartime, they were used to launch assaults against Tibetan marauders and the Qing army.
