Discover Dongguan

Drawing businesses from around the globe, Dongguan has earned its name as ‘the world’s factory’. In recent years, it has also become a popular destination for leisure travellers in search of romantic sea views and picturesque historical spots that tell the region’s exciting history.

Ancient Architecture of Nanshe

Well preserved for over 800 years, Nanshe Ancient Village includes architectural features that can be traced back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. With over 30 ancestral halls, the village has maintained its glamour in the past, earning its reputation as a rare ancient village with distinctive characteristics of Cantonese farming culture.

Surrounding a rectangular pond, the village features local-style dwelling houses, ancestral halls, colleges, archways, and other structures. In springtime, you will find yourself delighted by the beautiful lotus in the pond. If prefer sitting down or experiencing the local way of life, head to one of the traditional shops or teahouses tucked in the alleys and relax over soothing hot tea.

In recent years, the village has been hosting events featuring its traditional local culture, such as cultural festivals, offering rites, ancestor worship, and lantern lighting, all highly appealing to visitors.

Foodie Street at Yinfeng Road

Renowned as a paradise for locals and overseas food lovers, Yinfeng Road in Dongguan is lined with a wide variety of restaurants offering the tastes of all over China. In addition to popular Cantonese dishes, such as seafood porridge, pig stomach with chicken, and Chaoshan-style hot pot, there are also restaurants serving up Hunan, Sichuan and Northeast China menus, as well as Southeast Asian fare, Western cuisines and snacks.

After satisfying your tastebuds, enjoy leisurely shopping at the malls along the road to conclude a day of food and fun at this must-see hotspot.

Guangdong 33 Town

Revamped from a number of old factories, Guangdong 33 Town is an incredible place that brings together 33 industrial styles in echo with the reputation of Dongguan as the ‘Factory of the World’. Thanks to the continual addition of trendy elements, the town was given a makeover and then reopened its doors to the public in 2019; it has since repositioned itself as a cultural and creative community with themed bookstores, apartment hotels, and speciality restaurants. The more famous ones include Reading U Bookstore, The Journey Hotel, and Huamei Art Museum, all of which are hotspots that reflect the art and culture of Guangdong 33 Town. As night falls, visitors are welcome to spend time at the unique bars to end the day.

Humen Fortress and Opium War Museum

Also known as Shajiao Mountain Fort, Humen Fortress was constructed in 1801. Spanning a length of 139 metres and featuring 11 cannon holes, it’s one of the well-preserved fortresses from the Qing Dynasty in China. The fortress is fortified with 13 cannons on different scales, coupled with military facilities such as shrines, barracks, and ammunition depots. There is also a monument commemorating Lin Zexu, China’s national hero who advocated the destruction of opium. During the Opium Wars, Humen Fortress and Dajiao Fortress formed the first line of naval defence at Humen, and hence is acclaimed as the first gateway of the sea around Guangdong.

Built in 1957, the Opium War Museum houses a wide range of exhibits, such as stone relics, pottery and ironware. To the south of the museum lies the pit where opium was destroyed by Lin Zexu. A detailed account about the history of the Qing Dynasty, as well as how Lin Zexu launched the destruction of opium, is provided through all the valuable collections.

Keyuan Museum in Dongguan

Keyuan Museum in Dongguan sits peacefully in Keyuan Garden, which was built in 1850 and is one of the four famous gardens in Guangdong. Keyuan Garden is renowned for its compact but exquisite design, encompassing all kinds of traditional buildings, including pavilions, terraces, halls, and bridges, which fuse perfectly into the surrounding natural environment. The garden layout — an acclaimed treasure of Lingnan style — also includes a residence, courtyard and study, making for picture-perfect views regardless of the vantage point.

Nowadays, while remaining part of the idyllic scenery, Keyuan Museum is home to a series of permanent exhibitions and organises temporary exhibitions. Works about classical garden architecture and art pieces from the Lingnan School of Painting are collected, showcased, and researched. With a strong display of Lingnan culture, Keyuan Museum is a modern cultural attraction that should not be missed in Dongguan, the origin of Lingnan civilisation.

Wanjiang Dragon Boat Cultural Season

Thanks to convenient access made possible by well-connected rivers, Wanjiang has become a famous water village in Dongguan. Also hailed as the ‘Hometown of Dragon Boats’, Wanjiang boasts a history of dragon boats of over 280 years, as evidenced by the inscription of ‘Wanjiang Dragon Boat Races’ on the China National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.

Every year, on about the eighth day of the fourth lunar calendar month, a ceremony is hosted in Wanjiang to ‘wake up’ the dragon boats. Afterwards, the first day of the fifth lunar calendar month will see the start of the Wanjiang Dragon Boat Cultural Season, during which locals will row dragon boats, swim in dragon boat water, watch dragon boat parades, eat dragon boat cakes, feast on dragon boat meals, and sing dragon boat songs.

The dragon boat racing championship is the highlight of the month, with thousands of spectators gathering around to enjoy the event, forming what is called the ‘Most Scenic View of Dragon Boats’ in Dongguan.

Yinxian Resort

Easily accessible, the picturesque Yinxian Resort covers an area of over 500 hectares, equivalent to the size of about 47 standard football pitches. Divided into eight themed areas, the resort prides itself on a 286-metre-long 3D glass bridge, which spans the summits of two mountains, creating a thrilling sky-walk experience.

More than 30 dynamic rides, including a Ferris wheel, a suspended looping coaster and a sky swing, are available in the resort, together with an exciting zoo and a dinosaur valley for family fun. There is also a specially designed promenade that displays the Chinese dynasties in chronological order, as well as a splendid garden that brings together carved flowers, carved grass and gardening, and flower viewing.

Visitors can have fun throughout the year with a water park (in summer) and a snow world (open all year round) in the resort, visitors can have fun throughout the year. At nighttime, against the backdrop of a glass bridge, a waterfall light show is staged, with beautiful lanterns lit up. Delightful music fills the air to create a synchronised audio-visual performance. This remarkable event has become a must-see attraction in the resort.

Reprinted from the website of the Hong Kong Tourism Board，click here.