Cangdong Heritage Education Center

Mission Statement

To preserve and revitalize the tangible and intangible heritage of Cangdong Village by fostering a deep appreciation for local traditions, Sze Yap culture, and the Overseas Chinese legacy through authentic conservation, traditional practices, and immersive education.

Cangdong Village (仓东村) is a Sze Yap village of the Xie clan in Tangkou Township, Kaiping, first settled about 700 years ago and located near the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages World Heritage site. Led by architectural conservation expert Dr. Selia Tan, the Cangdong Heritage Education Center has restored the village’s ancestral halls, a watchtower and the Furen Temple, and welcomes students, groups and visitors for guided tours, lectures, workshops and hands-on experiences of village life. The project received an Award of Merit in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Plan your visit

Students and visitors on tours, workshops and cycling trips around Cangdong Village

What We Do

Ornate Western-style mansion with arched verandas in Cangdong Village, Kaiping

Heritage Conservation

Audience at a performance inside a decorated ancestral hall in Cangdong Village

Cultural Continuity

Dr. Selia Tan explaining local building conservation to a group of students

Educational Programs

Village women cooking a traditional dish in a large wok

Community Development