The shopping mecca of Dongguan in China's southern Guangdong province is well known in clothing circles for its numerous wholesale markets. However, despite being a shopper’s haven and an industrial powerhouse of southern China, this award-winning city owes much of its tourist appeal to its historical prowess and delectable landscape rather.
The city lies on the Pearl River Delta about 60 miles north of Hong Kong within the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong economic corridor. Offering many side attractions for the inquisitive visitor, Dongguan’s biggest draw is perhaps its clothes shopping, and there are literally dozens of massive shopping malls here as well as buzzing clothes markets selling unbelievably good buys.
Humen Huanghe Fashion Town is a great place to wander around and take it all in, as is the Nancheng Fumin Commercial Pedestrian Street, while Golden Plaza and South China Mall are two of the finest examples of Chinese mega shopping malls.
Dongguan is also well known for the Opium Wars which occurred in the suburb of Humen in the mid-19th century. The burning of the opium fields had significant meaning for many and kick-started modern history in China. The fort and artilleries used during the short wars are still on display for all to see and are the most important side attraction here.
Other worthwhile sights in Dongguan include its many desirable parks where locals come to practice tai chi and picnic, with dozens to choose from throughout the city. Keyuan Garden and Pomegranate Flower Park are really beautiful, but for good views you should check out one of the many towers in town, with the Gate of Ying'en Tower being the most historical.
Accommodation-wise, many centrally-located first class hotels with excellent service and quality have sprung up of late, which was not always the case for this industrial city. Examples of these include DongCheng International, which is close to Walking Street and other shopping sites; Grand Noble and Richwood Garden Hotel in Humen Town; Sofitel Royal Lagoon Hotel and Hyatt Regency Dongguan.
The peak tourist season in Dongguan is from November to February and hotels are generally full for the duration during these times. It is thus essential to book your hotel room ahead of time. Booking online is the best way to get a discount.
Getting to Dongguan is straightforward despite it not having an airport of its own. The major cities of Guangzhou and Hong Kong are nearby and they are both served by major airlines from cities all over the world. Getting from these cities to Dongguan can be done by train, bus, taxi or hire car, with the latter option requiring you to hire a driver along with the car.
Dongguan boasts over 1,600 years of history and a civilisation stretching back to the Neolithic Age, to around 3,000 BC. It is regarded as an important cradle for southern Chinese culture, having given birth to the culture of the southern Guangdong province, and has lots of discernable history and natural heritage in evidence today. Dongguan is perhaps best known historically for the Opium Wars of the 19th century and its recent seemingly insatiable economic drive.
Dongguan was first founded as a county in 331 AD (named Baoan) during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and was later renamed in the 7th century during the Tang Dynasty.
The settlement’s uneventful early days and Middle Ages were followed by turbulent times in the 1840s, when the burning of opium took place in Humen Town in the Opium War. This led to the opening of a new chapter in Chinese modern history. A reminder of these times is well preserved at the Opium War Museum, the Shajiao Emplacement and the Weiyuan Emplacement on the site of the most complete ancient battlefield in the world.
Other important relics of Dongguan’s past are the massive Humen Bridge, the Humen Naval Battle Museum which investigates naval battles during the Opium War and the former residence of Jiang Guangnai, a respected general that was once bodyguard to Sun Yat-sen.
In more recent times, Dongguan, like other prominent Chinese cities, has seen huge growth under reforms and the opening-up in China, with rapid development in industry and commerce. Clothing and textiles are particularly big here, with some of the largest clothing factories in the world and comprehensive shopping complexes located in Dongguan.
Dongguan is located in south China and thus has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The climate is tropical and semi-tropical monsoonal with lots of rain in the summer and big storms from June to October.
The best time to come to Dongguan is later on in the year during the months of October, November or December. Temperature, humidity and rainfall drop by this time of year and it is pleasant enough to walk around without breaking into a sweat. March and April also see pleasant weather, but this is the peak season when hotel prices go up.
January and February are also good times to visit although night-time temperatures can drop significantly. If you are not into big crowds, Chinese New Year could upset your travel plans.
Perfect location for where i needed to go. I felt safe and the level of English speaking by the staff was good. Every one was very helpful and i would return to stay....
