5 Days in Jiangmen

The old Changdi arcades line the river for blocks, and the emigrant museum explains why four million overseas Chinese trace roots to the five counties; evening snacks under the arcades.

1. jiangmen changdi street
2. jiangmen wuyi overseas museum

Kaiping keeps 1,833 fortified towers; the Zili cluster led by the 1925 Mingshi Tower pairs with the Li garden the Xie family finished in the 1930s. Overnight in Kaiping town.

1. jiangmen zili village
2. jiangmen liyuan garden

The bamboo-clad towers of Majianglong hide in the hills south of town; the nine-story Ruishi Tower of 1923 rises over rice at Jinjiangli; then the Tan River arcades of Chikan, a film-set town since the 2010 blockbuster.

1. jiangmen majianglong village
2. jiangmen ruishi tower
3. jiangmen chikan old town

A single banyan has grown over the water at Bird Paradise since long before Ba Jin's 1933 essay, shading some 20 mu of river; nearby Chakeng village keeps the 1873 birthplace of Liang Qichao. Try the local chenpi in the markets.

1. jiangmen bird paradise
2. jiangmen liangqichao residence

North in Heshan, Gulao's fishpond lanes and ferry paths make a slow finale; the village also claims the Wing Chun master Leung Jan. Return to Jiangmen station for the fast trains.

1. jiangmen gulao water town