A Study on the Visual Symbols of the Murals on the Lintels of the Diaolou
Architectural Structures in Kaiping, Guangdong
ZENG Kesi WANG Ranran
(ZENG Kesi WANG Ranran ,Hechi Universty, Guangxi,China)
Abstract: Kaiping Diaolou, the first World Cultural Heritage site in Guangdong Province, is asymbolic representation of modern overseas Chinese culture. Its lintel murals, blendingtraditional Chinese painting, Lingnan folk elements, and Western decorative arts, serve asinvaluable material for studying the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. This paper, from theperspective of cultural integration, systematically analyzes the characteristics, compositionalrules, and expressive functions of the visual symbols in the lintel murals of Kaiping Diaolouthrough fieldwork, image collection, and literature review. The research reveals that the visualsymbols of the lintel murals form a unique system of "Chinese and Western integration," not only reflected in the fusion of themes, composition, and colors, but also deeply containing thecollective memory, identity, and cultural adaptation of the overseas Chinese community.Furthermore, this paper explores the protection and inheritance paths of the lintel murals bycombining digital technology and revitalization strategies, providing theoretical support andpractical reference for the systematic study of overseas Chinese cultural heritage.
Key words: Kaiping Diaolou (watchtowers); lintel murals; visual symbols; cultural integration;overseas Chinese culture
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