Xie Weili was born in the United States to parents that had emigrated from Kaiping's Tangkou Township. After he made his fortune in the pharmaceuticals trade, his father ordered him to return home in 1926 and construct a garden.
Wanting to create something truly original, Xie took a team of engineers on a tour of the classical gardens of Beijing, Suzhou and Hangzhou to gather ideas. They also drew inspiration from the architectural styles of the US and Europe, Japan and Southeast Asia. The result is Li Yuan, a 19,000-square-meter compound that is composed of gardens replete with Chinese redbud, kapok, cypress, and other types of flora. There are bridges, archways, pavilions, an aviary, and walkways. Six yellow villas with green tile roofs housed different branches of the clan. A four-story communal watchtower provided refuge from bandits during raids. The entire complex took 10 years to complete.
The villas all have south-facing balconies. They were built largely of imported materials and incorporated many features that were a rarity in the Chinese countryside at the time. For example, water pumps and pipes were imported from the United States to provide indoor plumbing - even on the upper floors. Wall heaters were another luxury. There were hanging gas lamps, wall frescos, intricately carved wooden panels, and decorative frescos. Expensive rosewood furniture - in the Chinese style - was set with silver services imported from abroad. It was clearly a unique reflection of the East-West cultural values of the overseas Chinese of Kaiping.
Following extensive negotiations, Xie's widow, who lives in the United States, agreed that the Kaiping People's Government could renovate the property and manage it for 50 years. Ownership, however, will remain with Xie's heirs.
One interesting footnote: above the front doors, which were set in alcoves, were ingeniously placed holes. 'We didn't notice them at first,' an official at Li Yuan said. 'When we did, we didn't know what they were for. We finally realized that they could be used to drop rocks on the heads of unwanted visitors.' One can only imagine what else might have been dropped through those holes!
Kaiping Li Yuan Tourist Area, Tangkou Township, Kaiping