There are plenty of activity options in Dongguan to keep kids entertained while mums and dads enjoy the shopping and historical value of the city. Several classy shopping malls feature an abundance of things to do, while Dongguan’s profusion of parks and gardens offer lots of green space for kids to run around.

Huying Park
Situated in the recently developed area to the east of town in Dongguan Yellow Flag Piedmont City, Huying Park is a slice of paradise in an otherwise bustling metropolis and one of the best places to take active kids. Of the many attractions here are a playground, a beach, an island, a Chinese-style pavilion, the Yunyu Bridge, a Roman colonnade and several beautiful gardens. Lying adjacent to Huying Park is a popular golf course.

Jin Aozhou Tower
Kids will be stunned by this fine octagonal tower which features nine floors and a brick cup pinnacle. The tower is neatly situated in Qifeng Park and is one of the highlights of Dongguan with its more than 400 years of history and artistic qualities. The tower attracts equal numbers of Chinese and foreign tourists.

Shopping Malls
Dongguan’s larger shopping malls are loaded with entertainment for kids, with special areas set aside for mothers and children as well as amusement arcades. The recently built Global Plaza in Dongcheng district is particularly well set up with its many Westernised fast food joints such as KFC and McDonald's and Western-style shops.

Songshan Lake and the Science and Industrial Park
This large lake just outside Dongguan is a popular hangout for locals and visitors alike, especially during the summer heat. The Songshan Lake is surrounded by lush green hills that are loaded with wildlife, while activities abound. The Science and Industrial Park is ideal for inquisitive kids with its many fun hands-on exhibits.

Gate of Ying'en Tower 
Located near Cultural Square, the West Gate of Ying'en Tower, or Gate of Fortune, hails from the Hongwu period of the Ming dynasty and was a part of the original circumvallation in besieged Dongguan. The line of fortifications connected the Taoist Mountain, East Gate, North Gate and South City, and the wall stretched for nearly three miles. The West Gate of Ying'en is the only remaining remnant and a popular landmark of Dongguan today, featuring beautiful fountains and green areas.

Haogang Mound Site
Dating back around 5,000 years, the Haogang site, coined the ‘First Village of the Pearl River Delta’, is one of the most important historical finds in Dongguan. Belonging to the Neolithic era and located in the city centre, the mound was the site of the remains of two of the most complete skeletons ever uncovered in the region, proving that a prehistoric and ancient civilisation existed in Dongguan.

Pomegranate Flower Park
Located in Tongling at the Wan-Long road and Wan-Jie road junction, the aptly named Pomegranate Flower Park hails from the Ming dynasty Wanli years and features an impressive 100-foot tower and many other interesting sights. Chief among these is the Great Temple, Deity Bed, Qiniang Deep Pools, Brook Silver Pond and the Bronze Drum Angle, while the former residence of XuJingtang is also onsite.

Tiger Spring Mountain Villa
Not far from the centre of Dongguan in Humen town is this beautiful villa set within a striking setting. The villa sits at the base of a mountain near the Tiger Spring Waterfall and the Lin Zexu Memorial Museum, while a stone statue of Lin Zexu stands atop the mountain. The whole site is surrounded by an ancient mile-long stone wall.

WanJiang Jinao Tower
Originally constructed in the Ming years over a 25-year period in the early 1600s, the WanJiang Jinao Tower is another of Dongguan’s many old towers and well worth a look on a culture trip. The tower fell down during the Qing Qianlong period but was reconstructed and has since been refurbished to its former original style.

For a mid-size city, Dongguan has a surprising number of restaurants and hotels that specialise in seafood and snacks. The high numbers of immigrants to Dongguan from other parts of the country have brought with them their local foods and many eateries feature dishes from all over China.

The most popular places to eat in Dongguan are located in the bustling New GardenVillage in Huayuan street, Dongcheng district. There are loads of snack-bars and restaurants here and it is a favourite spot with tourists. For seafood, check out Xinmin street in Chang'an Town and Xinwan street in Humen Town.

Humen Town is located in the southwest of Dongguan and the quality of the seafood here is superb, with such delicacies as Mantis shrimp, greasy-back shrimp, green crab and stone grouper. Prices are somewhat inflated due to the tourist influx although not excessively so.

Snacks worth trying while in Dongguan include lai fen, a strong-flavoured thick rice noodle dish. Lai fen is best sampled in the snack bars along Houjie street, where roast goose lai fen is particularly tasty. Other popular snacks include san he banquet and zongzi, which are sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and best tried in Daojiao Town.

Along with Dongguan’s famous snacks, which can be traced back to the Qin dynasty to around 200 BC, quality rice cakes are also very popular and are consumed in excess during festivities.

On the shopping front, Dongguan is best known for its turnover of cheap clothing and it has been bestowed the term 'factory of Hong Kong' by many quarters. It also has throngs of huge shopping malls and chain stores in just about every sector of the city including downtown.

There are more than 1,000 garment enterprises in the area of Humen alone and many of these are familiar brand names that are exported all over the world, including to Hong Kong. Huanghe Fashion Town in Humen stretches along Jinglong, Renming, Renyi and Yinglong roads and is one of China's largest clothing wholesale markets. You can come here to shop and good prices are available even for purchases of small quantities.

A particularly potent shopping experience can be had in the Global Plaza in central Dongcheng district. Of the many stores here are the popular Haiya department store and a Trust-Mart, while KFC and McDonald's offer familiar sustenance.

The Chinese are an active bunch and most parks are busy in the mornings and late afternoons with joggers, cyclists and those practicing tai chi. In addition, there are some very good golf courses in town and tennis and fishing are also quite popular.

Golf
Dongguan has quite a few good golf courses, with the Dongguan Hillview Golf Club being one of the best. Set amid lush green surroundings, the nine-hole and 18-hole courses are well designed and have some fantastic holes, while the spacious club house has a wide range of services and a good golf shop. Dongguan also has the distinction of having the largest night golf course in the south of the country.

Tai chi
Join in with the locals for some traditional tai chi in one of the many active city parks. Most parks become busy in the late afternoon with throngs of mostly elderly locals participating in the slow meditative exercise for health reasons, relaxation and improved balance. Other traditional exercises include tai chi sword, tai chi quan and tai chi fan.

Walking and Cycling
There are loads of hiking paths within the confines of Dongguan with over 100 miles of tracks in the city’s 16 forest parks alone. In addition, Dongguan puts on an annual hiking festival. There is also a popular lakeside jogging track in the city, while you can rent a bicycle by the hour or day.