Dongguan (东莞)

1. Introduction

Dongguan City, abbreviated as Guan, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. Located in the central-southern part of Guangdong Province, it is one of the cities encompassed by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. In 2020, its permanent population exceeded the 10 million mark, placing it among the ranks of China's megacities. The city borders Guangzhou to the northwest, Huizhou to the northeast, Shenzhen to the south, and faces the Pearl River Estuary to the southwest. Situated in the lower reaches of the Dongjiang River, it lies at the junction of the alluvial plain area in the eastern Pearl River Delta and the low mountainous and hilly region of central Guangdong. The southern part consists of the foothills of the Luofu Mountain range, with the terrain generally higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. The Dongjiang River flows westward along the northern municipal boundary to Shilong Town, where it divides into multiple main streams and waterways that empty into the Lion Sea. Dongguan is one of the four prefecture-level cities in mainland China that does not have district-level administrative divisions. It administers 4 subdistricts and 28 towns; the Municipal People's Government is located at No. 99 Hongfu Road, Nancheng Subdistrict.

Dongguan is one of the "Four Little Tigers of Guangdong" and serves as an important commercial, high-tech industrial, service, tourism, and industrialized city within the Pearl River Delta. It is also a significant player in international processing and manufacturing, earning the nickname "World Factory." It has the highest proportion of non-local migrant population among all cities in China, accounting for over 80% of its permanent residents.

2. Origin of the Name

There are two theories regarding the origin of the character "莞" in Dongguan:

The first theory suggests it originated from "筦" (with the bamboo radical), derived from the aforementioned former Dongguan Salt Field. According to the History of Song, History of Yuan, and Geographical Records, the character "筦" with the bamboo radical likely refers to "筦" in the phrase "筦盐铁" (managing salt and iron), where "筦" is interchangeable with "管" (to manage). The origin of the character "莞" with the grass radical is unclear, possibly a folk misspelling. "筦" is pronounced as "guǎn" in ancient pronunciation, which aligns with this theory, making it relatively credible.

The second theory posits that "莞" (with the grass radical) comes from the saline-alkali land rushes used locally for weaving mats. A fragment from Lu Xiang's Old Dongguan County Records states: "莞 is a type of grass. The rushes in this region can be used to make mats, hence the name." The character "莞" has various ancient pronunciations, such as "guān," "guàn," and "huán," none of which should be pronounced as "guǎn."

3. History

• During the Neolithic Age, ancient humans already lived in Haogang (present-day Nancheng).
• In the Xia Dynasty, Dongguan belonged to the Nanjiao territory.
• During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of the Zhou Dynasty, Dongguan was part of the Yangzhou region, located in the southern frontier of the Great Yue. In the 35th year of King Xian of Zhou (334 BCE), the State of Chu defeated the State of Yue, and its leaders dispersed along the southern coast, forming the Baiyue tribes.
• During the Qin Dynasty (214 BCE), Emperor Qin Shi Huang annexed the Lingnan region, and the area of Dongguan belonged to Nanhai Commandery.
• In the fifth year of the Yuanding era of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (112 BCE), the Nanyue Kingdom was pacified, and Nanhai Commandery was established, governing six counties. The area was then part of Panyu County.
• During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Shun divided the territory of Panyu to establish Zengcheng County, and the area came under the jurisdiction of Zengcheng.
• In the first year of the Ganlu era of the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period (265 CE), the Salt Commissioner (Siduwei) was first established at Dongguanchang, meaning "Eastern Salt Official."
• In the first year of the Xianhe era of Emperor Cheng of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (326 CE), Dongguan Commandery was established, located north of Dongguanchang. In the sixth year of the Xianhe era (331 CE), the area was established as a county. Due to the presence of a treasure mountain (Baoshan), it was named Bao'an and belonged to Dongguan Commandery. In the first year of the Long'an era of Emperor An of Jin, it was merged into Yi'an Commandery.
• During the Southern Dynasties period, the area was repeatedly merged and reorganized. In the sixth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (507 CE), Dongguan Commandery was renamed Dongguan Commandery. In the second year of the Zhenming era of the Chen Dynasty (588 CE), it was changed back to Dongguan Commandery.
• In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (589 CE), Dongguan Commandery was abolished, and Bao'an County was placed under Guangzhou.
• In the second year of the Zhide era of the Tang Dynasty (757 CE), it was renamed Dongguan, with the county seat established at Yong (present-day Guancheng). The first Dongguan ancient city was constructed during this time.
• In the 22nd year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1152 CE), Xiangshan Town was separated from Dongguan to establish Xiangshan County (present-day Zhongshan City).
• In the first year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573 CE), the Dongguan Garrison Thousand Household District was reorganized into 56 li to establish Xin'an County (present-day Shenzhen City).
• During the Qing Dynasty (1839), Lin Zexu destroyed opium at Humen in Dongguan, triggering the Opium War.
• During the Republic of China period, Dongguan County successively belonged to the Yuehai Circuit, Central Pacification Commissioner Office, First Administrative Inspection District, and Fourth Administrative District of Guangdong Province.
• During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Dongguan was captured by Japanese forces in October 1938 during the Huizhou-Guangzhou Campaign. Dalingshan was one of the bases of the Dongjiang Column.
• After the founding of the People's Republic of China (1949), Dongguan was under the jurisdiction of the Dongjiang Administrative Region. In 1950, it was placed under the Pearl River Special District. In 1952, it was transferred to the Central Guangdong Administrative Region. In 1956, it was placed under the Huiyang Special District. In November 1958, Dongguan County was briefly placed under Guangzhou City. In January 1959, it was reassigned to the Foshan Special District. In June 1963, it was returned to the Huiyang Special District. In September 1985, with the approval of the State Council, Dongguan County was abolished, and Dongguan City (county-level) was established, under the jurisdiction of the Huiyang Prefecture. On January 7, 1988, the State Council approved the upgrade of Dongguan City from a county-level city to a prefecture-level city, directly under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province.

4. Geography

Dongguan City is located in the southern part of Guangdong Province, on the eastern bank of the Pearl River Estuary, in the middle and lower reaches of the Dongjiang River within the Pearl River Delta. Its geographic coordinates are between 113°31′ and 114°15′ east longitude, and 22°39′ and 23°09′ north latitude. The easternmost point is Yinpingzui Mountain in Xiegang Town; the southernmost point is Yantian Reservoir in Yantian Village, Fenggang Town; the westernmost point is the central shipping lane of the Shiziyang (Lion Ocean) near Xidatan Village, Shatian Town; and the northernmost point is the central shipping lane of the northern distributary of the Dongjiang River near Datan Group, Huangchong Village, Zhongtang Town. The city stretches approximately 70.45 kilometers from east to west and 46.8 kilometers from north to south.

Dongguan City borders Huicheng District and Huiyang District of Huizhou City to the east; Longgang District and Bao'an District of Shenzhen City to the south; Nansha District, Panyu District, and Huangpu District of Guangzhou City to the west; and Zengcheng District of Guangzhou City and Boluo County of Huizhou City to the north. In total, it shares boundaries with nine county-level administrative divisions from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Huizhou.

The sea area under Dongguan's jurisdiction covers 97 square kilometers, primarily distributed in the Shiziyang and Lingdingyang. In 2019, the city's sea area was 82.57 square kilometers. The mainland coastline is 97.2 kilometers long, belonging to the South Asian tropical shallow sea area. Seven towns—Chang'an, Humen, Shatian, Houjie, Machong, Hongmei, and Daojiao—possess coastline. The city administers five islands: Weiyuan Island, Nizhou Island, Mumianshan Island, Yongkousha, and Xiazengpai. The total island coastline is 34.58 kilometers, and the total island area is 24.13 square kilometers.

4.1 Climate

Dongguan is situated south of the Tropic of Cancer. It features a subtropical maritime climate characterized by mild temperatures, abundant rainfall, ample sunlight and heat, and long summers. The annual average temperature is 23.3°C, and the average annual precipitation is 2,042.6 mm. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------| | Record high °C | 28.0 | 29.4 | 32.7 | 34.0 | 35.4 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 37.8 | 37.2 | 34.4 | 33.6 | 30.0 | 38.2 | | Record high °F | 82.4 | 84.9 | 90.9 | 93.2 | 95.7 | 98.6 | 100.8 | 100.0 | 99.0 | 93.9 | 92.5 | 86.0 | 100.8 | | Average high °C | 19.2 | 19.4 | 22.5 | 26.2 | 29.8 | 31.8 | 32.9 | 33.0 | 31.7 | 29.4 | 25.3 | 21.1 | 26.9 | | Average high °F | 66.6 | 66.9 | 72.5 | 79.2 | 85.6 | 89.2 | 91.2 | 91.4 | 89.1 | 84.9 | 77.5 | 70.0 | 80.3 | | Daily mean °C | 14.8 | 15.5 | 18.7 | 22.6 | 26.0 | 27.9 | 28.7 | 28.7 | 27.5 | 25.0 | 20.6 | 16.4 | 22.7 | | Daily mean °F | 58.6 | 59.9 | 65.7 | 72.7 | 78.8 | 82.2 | 83.7 | 83.7 | 81.5 | 77.0 | 69.1 | 61.5 | 72.9 | | Average low °C | 11.7 | 12.9 | 16.0 | 20.0 | 23.2 | 25.3 | 25.9 | 25.9 | 24.6 | 21.8 | 17.3 | 13.1 | 19.8 | | Average low °F | 53.1 | 55.2 | 60.8 | 68.0 | 73.8 | 77.5 | 78.6 | 78.6 | 76.3 | 71.2 | 63.1 | 55.6 | 67.7 | | Record low °C | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 9.7 | 15.4 | 18.3 | 21.3 | 22.2 | 16.8 | 12.3 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | | Record low °F | 37.4 | 37.6 | 37.4 | 49.5 | 59.7 | 64.9 | 70.3 | 72.0 | 62.2 | 54.1 | 42.4 | 34.2 | 34.2 | | Average precipitation mm | 39.4 | 65.2 | 94.2 | 196.7 | 265.8 | 313.9 | 236.9 | 268.3 | 185.5 | 55.1 | 35.7 | 30.0 | 1,786.7 | | Average precipitation inches | 1.55 | 2.57 | 3.71 | 7.74 | 10.46 | 12.36 | 9.33 | 10.56 | 7.30 | 2.17 | 1.41 | 1.18 | 70.34 | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 71 | 76 | 79 | 82 | 81 | 82 | 81 | 80 | 76 | 70 | 66 | 67 | 76 |

5. Administrative Divisions

Dongguan City adopts a two-tier administrative system of city and town, making it one of the four prefecture-level cities in China without a county-level administrative structure.

The municipal government directly administers 4 subdistricts, 28 towns, and 2 development zones. The main urban area consists of: Guancheng Subdistrict, Dongcheng Subdistrict, Nancheng Subdistrict, and Wanjiang Subdistrict. The municipal government is located in Nancheng Subdistrict.

| No. | Division Code | Name | Resident Population (Nov 1, 2020) | Area (sq km) | Population Density (persons/sq km) | |---------|-------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------|----------------------------------------| | 441900 | Dongguan City | Dongguan City | 10,466,625 | 2,460 | 4,254.72 | | Urban Area | | Urban Area | 1,970,417 | 299 | 6,590.02 | | 1 | 441900006 | Guancheng Subdistrict | 173,957 | 13.5 | 12,885.70 | | 2 | 441900003 | Dongcheng Subdistrict | 597,192 | 110.0 | 5,429.02 | | 3 | 441900004 | Nancheng Subdistrict | 418,288 | 59.0 | 7,089.63 | | 4 | 441900005 | Wanjiang Subdistrict | 328,856 | 50.5 | 6,512 | | 5 | 441900006 | Gaobu Town | 169,923 | 30.0 | 5,664.1 | | 32 | 441900101 | Shijie Town | 282,255 | 36.0 | 7,840.41 | | Songshan Lake Functional Area | | Songshan Lake Functional Area | 2,792,154 | 562.3 | 4,965.59 | | 441900401 | Songshan Lake Industrial Park | 120,765 | 72.0 | 1,677.29 | | | 15 | 441900118 | Dalingshan Town | 366,101 | 110.0 | | | 16 | 441900113 | Dalang Town | 556,778 | 118.0 | | | 25 | 441900105 | Qishi Town | 169,396 | 51.0 | 3,321.49 | | 26 | 441900106 | Hengli Town | 278,858 | 50.0 | 5,577.16 | | 27 | 441900109 | Dongkeng Town | 187,877 | 27.5 | 6,831.89 | | 28 | 441900110 | Liaobu Town | 513,090 | 87.5 | | | 29 | 441900103 | Chashan Town | 219,333 | 51.0 | 4,300.64 | | 30 | 441900104 | Shipai Town | 235,194 | 56.0 | 4,199.89 | | 31 | 441900102 | Shilong Town | 144,762 | 11.3 | 12,810.79 | | Waterfront Functional Area | | Waterfront Functional Area | 625,768 | 228.5 | 2,738.59 | | 6 | 441900128 | Zhongtang Town | 196,890 | 60.0 | 3,281. |5 | | 7 | 441900126 | Machong Town | 182,416 | 74.0 | 2,465.08 | | 8 | 441900127 | Wangniudun Town | 86,960 | 31.5 | 2,760.63 | | 9 | 441900124 | Daojiao Town | 159,502 | 63.0 | 2,531.78 | | 10 | 441900125 | Hongmei Town | 65,325 | 33.0 | 1,979.54 | | Binhaiwan Area | | Binhaiwan Area | 2,406,517 | 509.3 | 4,725.14 | | 441900404 | Binhaiwan New District | | | | | | 11 | 441900123 | Shatian Town | 210,175 | 107.0 | 1,964.25 | | 12 | 441900122 | Houjie Town | 550,807 | 126.0 | 4,371.48 | | 13 | 441900121 | Humen Town | 838,144 | 178.5 | 4,695.48 | | 14 | 441900119 | Chang'an Town | 807,391 | 97.8 | 8,255.53 | | Eastern Industrial Park Area | | Eastern Industrial Park Area | 1,041,766 | 365 | 2,854.15 | | 17 | 441900114 | Huangjiang Town | 283,426 | 98.0 | 2,892.10 | | 22 | 441900108 | Xiegang Town | 106,152 | 103.0 | 1,030.60 | | 23 | 441900110 | Changping Town | 444,894 | 108.0 | 4,119.39 | | 24 | 441900107 | Qiaotou Town | 207,294 | 56.0 | 3,701.68 | | Southeastern Shenzhen-Adjacent Area | | Southeastern Shenzhen-Adjacent Area | 1,564,624 | 471.5 | 3,318.39 | | 18 | 441900116 | Tangxia Town | 629,016 | 128.0 | 4,914.19 | | 19 | 441900117 | Fenggang Town | 417,430 | 82.5 | 5,059.75 | | 20 | 441900115 | Qingxi Town | 344,303 | 143.0 | 2,407.71 | | 21 | 441900112 | Zhangmutou Town | 173,875 | 118.8 | 1,463.59 |

6. Economy

Originally a traditional agricultural county, Dongguan has leveraged its geographical proximity to Hong Kong since the Reform and Opening-up. By embracing the "Three Supplies and One Compensation" model, it attracted a large number of labor-intensive processing and manufacturing enterprises, developing an export-oriented economy and forming a "front shop, back factory" relationship with Hong Kong, rapidly achieving industrialization. In the mid-1990s, Taiwan's electronic information industry entered Dongguan on a large scale, driving its transformation towards high-tech industries and earning it the title "World Factory." In 2008, Dongguan was impacted by the global financial crisis, and its economic growth slowed temporarily. However, it subsequently capitalized on the explosive global growth of smartphones, becoming a major production base for smartphones in China and globally. At its peak, it produced approximately one-quarter of the world's smartphones. In 2021, Dongguan's GDP exceeded one trillion yuan for the first time.

6.1 Agriculture

Before the Reform and Opening-up, Dongguan was one of the main grain and agricultural by-product producing areas in the province, known as the "Land of Fish and Rice" due to its numerous waterways and fertile land. After the Reform and Opening-up, with the rapid development of manufacturing, agriculture's share of the city's economy continuously declined. It was over 40% in the 1970s, fell below 20% in the 1990s, dropped below 5% in the 2000s, and was less than 1% by the 2020s. Apart from some vegetables and a small amount of meat that can be self-sufficient, the rest needs to be imported from other regions. Current agriculture in Dongguan mainly focuses on vegetables, fruits, flowers, and Chinese medicinal herbs. Characteristic agricultural products include Dongguan lychees, Machong bananas, and Humen Baisha salted ducks.

6.2 Industry

Dongguan is an important manufacturing base in China and globally, known as the "World Factory" and "International Manufacturing City." Its manufacturing industry's rapid development began after the Reform and Opening-up. Textiles, food processing, arts and crafts manufacturing, energy industries like power, electronic information, and electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing have successively dominated Dongguan's industrial landscape. Currently, the electronic information industry, primarily mobile phone manufacturing, is the largest pillar industry in Dongguan's industry, with a scale reaching trillions of yuan, accounting for about one-quarter of the province's total. It is home to three major mobile phone manufacturers: Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo, covering the entire upstream and downstream supporting industrial chain. Electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing is the second-largest pillar industry, having formed several large-scale industrial clusters for molds, CNC machine tools, and industrial robots. Additionally, traditional advantageous industries in Dongguan include textiles and apparel, food and beverages, papermaking, toys, furniture, chemicals, packaging and printing, gold and jewelry, and rubber, all ranking high in scale within the province.

Dongguan's township economies are highly developed, with almost every town having its own advantageous industry. Examples include Humen Town's apparel industry, Zhongtang Town's papermaking industry, Shipai Town's toy industry, Dalang Town's wool knitting industry, Chashan Town's food industry, Zhangmutou Town's plastics industry, Hengli Town's mold manufacturing industry, Dalingshan Town's furniture industry, and Qiaotou Town's packaging industry.

In the 2010s, impacted by U.S. trade protectionism, Dongguan's high-tech OEM industries rapidly declined, with factories closing down like dominoes. By the 2020s, unemployment remained high, and homelessness became common on the streets, a stark contrast to its former prosperity.

6.3 Service Industry

Due to its large migrant population, Dongguan's rental housing industry is relatively developed. In 2004, to regulate rental housing management, the Dongguan government established "Rental Housing Management Offices" at various administrative levels.

Dongguan has over 400,000 Taiwanese businesspeople, and its tertiary industry is quite developed. The number of hotels in Dongguan ranks first among prefecture-level cities in mainland China. Known as the "Back Garden" of the Pearl River Delta, various leisure industries, such as foot massage and saunas, are highly developed. Dongguan is praised for its "Dongguan-style service," known for its good service attitude and quality.

6.4 Real Estate Industry

Due to its proximity to Shenzhen, housing prices in some Dongguan towns, such as Chang'an Town, Dalingshan Town, Tangxia Town, Fenggang Town, Qingxi Town, and Zhangmutou Town, have risen rapidly since the 2010s. For example, in Chang'an Town near Bao'an District and Fenggang Town near Longgang District, prices have increased to 20,000-40,000 RMB per square meter. These areas are known as the "Shenzhen-Adjacent Zone," and most property owners are "Shenzhen clients" who work in Shenzhen.

6.4 Notable Enterprises

BBK Electronics, OPPO Electronics, Vivo, Huawei Device, Edifier, Hsu Fu Chi, Nine Dragons Paper, Meiyijia, Zhen Gong Fu, etc.

7. Transportation

7.1 Highways

At the beginning of China's reform and opening-up, despite Dongguan's advantageous geographical location, its relatively weak infrastructure made public transportation a bottleneck hindering its development. In 1980, the Dongguan Municipal Government decided to take Guanlong Road as a pilot project, transforming the gravel road into a cement road, thus unveiling the first wave of Dongguan's road network construction.

Starting in 2002, the government invested in laying asphalt pavement in the city center, further improving traffic conditions.

Gaobu Bridge is the first toll bridge in the country funded by farmers. Construction began in 1981, and it opened to traffic in January 1984. With a total investment of 2.2 million yuan and a length of 169 meters, it is a reinforced concrete double-curved arch bridge.

Dongguan is also traversed by many expressways or fast roads, including the G4G15 Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, G94 Dongguan-Shenzhen Expressway, S3 Guangzhou-Shenzhen Riverside Expressway, S31 Longda Expressway, Dongguan Ring Road, and Guangyuan Expressway. The Humen Bridge, located next to the Humen Fort, connects to Panyu, Guangzhou on the opposite bank, eliminating the previous reliance on ferries. National Highways 107 and 220 run through Dongguan from north to south. The Nansha Bridge opened in 2019, linking Panyu District in Guangzhou with Shatian Town in Dongguan, alleviating congestion pressure on the Humen Bridge. The Nansha Bridge is part of the S6 Guanglong Expressway.

At the end of 2005, the G1523G9411 Changhu Expressway (renamed Hugang Expressway in 2009) opened, along with the Dongguan Eastern Express Trunk Road. The renovations of Dongshen Road and Guanzhang Road were largely completed, providing Dongguan with interconnected fast roads in all directions: east-west, north-south, and diagonal.

The Hugang Expressway connects westward to the Wudianmei section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway in Humen. Additionally, the S9918 Humen Port Branch Line Phase I (formerly the Xinlian Branch Line) diverges northwest from the Huadengzhan Reservoir west of the Dalingshan Interchange, connecting to the Xinlian Interchange of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, and extends east to the Changping Dongshen Road section, linking with the Huizhou Expressway section (G1523 Chao'an Expressway). It passes through Changping Town, Dalang Town, Songshan Lake, Dalingshan Town, Changan Town, and Humen Town.

7.2 Road Public Transportation

After two rounds of bus reforms in 2014 and 2019, the previous three-tier system of "urban, inter-town, and intra-town" and the "one town, one bus company" model, where each town had its own bus company, were abolished. It was replaced by integrated operations managed by district. The city is divided into the Urban District, Binhaiwan District, Songshan Lake Functional Area, Eastern Bus Operation District, and Shuixiang Functional Area. These are operated respectively by Dongguan City Bus, Dongguan Minibus, Binhaiwan Bus, Songshan Lake Bus, Dongguan Bus Eastern Branch, and Shuixiang New City Bus. On January 1, 2020, all public buses in the city became 100% electric. Except for Shuixiang New City Bus, the other companies are either branches or majority-owned subsidiaries of Dongguan Bus, creating a unified public transport industry in the city led by state-owned enterprises with private participation. Additionally, Baitong Transportation operates the province's first bus-style passenger line, the "Guangshen 001 Line."

The urban area has five long-distance bus stations: Nancheng Bus Station (Nancheng Subdistrict), Dongguan East Bus Station (Liaobu Town), Dongguan North Bus Station (Gaobu Town), Liuhua Bus Station (Dongcheng Subdistrict), and Dongcheng Bus Station (Dongcheng Subdistrict). Furthermore, basically every town has its own bus station.

On December 31, 2019, the operating periods for all public taxis in the city expired. Their licenses were uniformly reclaimed by the Transportation Bureau, and no new public taxis will be issued in the future. After the operating rights of the 18 "public taxi" companies expired, only three major group companies (Xiangyun, Huayue, Guantong) and the Hongyun Taxi Co., Ltd. under the Municipal Transportation Investment Group will operate taxis in the city. The taxis of the Municipal Hongyun Taxi Company are all electric, making them the city's first batch of pure electric taxis. Additionally, there are currently 14 ride-hailing platform companies in Dongguan (5 have deployed vehicles), with 22,756 licensed ride-hailing vehicles (including 10,130 pure electric ride-hailing vehicles) and 29,107 licensed ride-hailing drivers. Taking the opportunity of the "public taxi" licenses expiring at the end of 2019, the transportation department plans to use 500 taxi operation permits as a pilot before June 2020 to explore implementing a "public vehicle, public operation" business model. This aims to enhance the competitiveness and service level of the traditional industry by integrating technological innovations from the internet.

7.3 Railway

The major stations on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway include Dongguan Station (opened on January 8, 2014; the original Shilong Station retains only freight functions), Changping Station (named Dongguan Station from December 23, 1997, to June 20, 2013), and Zhangmutou Station.

Major stations on the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shantou Railway include Dongguan East Station (originally named Changping East Station; on March 30, 2016, Changping East Station, serving as the terminal for the then-opened first phase of the Guangzhou-Huizhou Intercity Railway, was established opposite Dongguan East Station on Changdong Road).

In December 2011, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway opened, with Humen Station located in Baisha Village, Humen Town, Dongguan.

On March 30, 2016, the first phase of the Dongguan-Huizhou Intercity Rail Transit opened. It connects Dongguan's eastern area with Huizhou, serving as an intercity rail link between the two cities. Trains operate between Changping East Station and Xiaojinkou Station. Passengers can transfer outside the station between Changping East Station and Dongguan East Station on the Beijing-Kowloon Railway.

On December 28, 2017, the entire Dongguan-Huizhou Intercity Rail Transit line opened. The train service range expanded from Changping East Station to Daojiao Station. Passengers can transfer underground at Xiping West Station to Xiping Station on Dongguan Rail Transit Line 2. Furthermore, the government plans for Wanghong Station (now Dongguan West Station) to form a cross interchange with the already operational Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway and the future Guangzhou-Huizhou Intercity Railway.

On December 15, 2019, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway opened. This railway connects Bao'an in Shenzhen with Changan, Houjie, Shatian, Wangniudun, and Zhongtang in Dongguan, and shares tracks with the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway to Guangzhou East Station. It solved the long-standing issue of no passenger rail service in Dongguan's Binhaiwan area. On the same day, Dongguan West Station began operations, where passengers can transfer to the Guangzhou-Huizhou Intercity Railway. Additionally, passengers can transfer outside the station at Humen North Station to Humen Station on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway and Humen Railway Station on Dongguan Rail Transit Line 2.

7.4 Rail Transit

Dongguan Rail Transit (or Dongguan City Rail Transit) is the urban rail transit system of Dongguan City. According to the "Dongguan City Rail Transit Construction Plan" published in 2006, Dongguan Rail Transit will consist of 4 urban lines (R1 to R4) and 1 suburban railway (Guangzhou-Shenzhen Suburban Railway), with a total length of 264.2 kilometers. Regarding stations, the lines will have between 60 and 87 stations in total, with 8 being transfer stations between two lines. The first phase of Dongguan Rail Transit (Line R2) opened on May 27, 2016. The passenger capacity per hour is expected to exceed 500,000 initially, rise to nearly 1 million by 2018, and exceed 3 million by 2030.

Due to the renovation of Dongguan Station and the opening of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway, Guangzhou-Huizhou Intercity Railway, and Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway, passengers can transfer outside the station at Line 2's Xiping Station, Humen Railway Station, and Dongguan Railway Station to the aforementioned lines. This allows travel via national rail to towns in Dongguan's Songshan Lake area, eastern area, and Binhaiwan New Area, as well as to cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Huizhou, and beyond.

7.5 Aviation

There is no airport within Dongguan's territory. The nearby Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport are primarily used. According to long-term planning, the layout of civil airports in the province will be improved, with Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport as an international composite hub airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and the Western Guangdong International Airport as regional hub airports, supplemented by other feeder airports. By the end of 2015, the synergy between Guangdong's civil airports was expected to further strengthen, with an annual passenger throughput capacity reaching approximately 100 million.

7.6 Shipping

Dongguan Port is a Category I seaport, including the Humen Port Hong Kong-Macao Passenger Terminal, with ferry services to the SkyPier of Hong Kong International Airport.

8. Education

Dongguan achieved universal nine-year compulsory education in 1989 and universal senior high school education in 1995. Currently, Dongguan has 1,521 schools of various types and levels (including kindergartens), with a total enrollment of 1.391 million students and 99,600 faculty and staff members.

8.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Dongguan University of Technology is a full-time public undergraduate institution specializing in science and engineering, founded by the Dongguan Municipal Government in 1991. It has campuses in Guancheng and Songshan Lake.
• Guangdong Medical University (Dongguan Campus) was established in Songshan Lake, Dongguan, in 2002.
• Guangdong University of Science and Technology (Nancheng Campus) was established in Nancheng Subdistrict, Dongguan, in 2003; Guangdong University of Science and Technology (Songshan Lake Campus) was established in Dongguan Songshan Lake in 2019.
• Dongguan City College began operations in 2004 as an independent college, initially located at the Dongguan University of Technology (Guancheng Campus) in Guancheng Subdistrict, Dongguan. Dongguan University of Technology City College (Liaobu Campus) was established in Liaobu Town, Dongguan, in 2012, and the college simultaneously relocated from the Guancheng Campus. It was officially renamed Dongguan City College in 2021.
• Guangzhou Xinhua University (Dongguan Campus) was established in Machong Town, Dongguan, in 2011; formerly known as Sun Yat-sen University Xinhua College, it was officially renamed Guangzhou Xinhua University in 2021.
• Dongguan Polytechnic was established in Songshan Lake, Dongguan, in 2009.
• Guangdong ATV Vocational College for the Performing Arts was established in Tangxia Town, Dongguan, in 2000; it was officially renamed Guangdong ATV Vocational College for the Performing Arts in 2002.
• Guangdong Innovative Technical College was established in Houjie Town, Dongguan, in 2011.
• Guangdong Hotel Management Technical College was established in Houjie Town, Dongguan, in 2016.

8.2 Basic Education and Secondary Education

• Public Ordinary High Schools (Grade A): Known as the "Eight Major Schools," they include Dongguan Middle School, Dongguan Experimental Middle School, Dongguan No.1 Middle School, Dongguan Senior High School, Dongguan Middle School Songshan Lake School, Dongguan Foreign Language School, Dongguan No.6 Senior High School, and Dongguan Songshan Lake Future School.
• Public Ordinary High Schools (Grade B): Dongguan Wanjiang Middle School, Dongguan Shilong Middle School, Dongguan Changping Middle School.
• Public Ordinary High Schools (Grade C): Dongguan No.2 Senior High School, Dongguan No.4 Senior High School, Dongguan No.5 Senior High School, Dongguan No.7 Senior High School, Dongguan No.8 Senior High School, Dongguan No.10 Senior High School, Dongguan Houjie Middle School, Chang'an Middle School, Tangxia Middle School, Machong Middle School, Jichuan Middle School, Dalingshan Middle School, Dalang Middle School, Humen Middle School.
• Private Ordinary High Schools: Donghua Senior High School, Dongguan Guangming Middle School, Humen Foreign Language School, Dongguan Hanlin Experimental School, Dongguan New Century Talent School, Dongguan Oriental Pearl School, Dongguan Guangzheng Experimental School, Dongguan Nankai Experimental School, Beijing Normal University Dongguan Shizhu Affiliated School, Tangxia Shuilin School, Dongguan Yuehua School, Dongguan Songshan Lake Guanmei School, etc.

9. Population

In the early years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Dongguan's registered household population was 682,400. By 1978, it had reached 1,112,300. Following the reform and opening-up, a large influx of migrants poured into Dongguan, causing the population to multiply. In 1990, the city's permanent resident population was 1,756,200, which increased to 6,448,400 by 2000 and further to 8,224,800 by 2010. In 2020, Dongguan's permanent resident population surpassed the ten million mark for the first time, becoming the third city in Guangdong Province, after Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with a permanent resident population exceeding 10 million. This achievement elevated Dongguan into the ranks of China's megacities. The city's urbanization rate exceeds 90%, placing it among the highest in the nation. Dongguan has the highest proportion of migrant population in China, with migrants accounting for over 80% of its total permanent residents. Humen Town and Chang'an Town are the two towns (subdistricts) with the largest populations in the city.

9.1. Ethnic Groups

In 2019, Dongguan's permanent resident population included 500,000 individuals from 55 ethnic minority groups. Among these, 33,000 were registered household residents from 44 ethnic minorities, constituting 6.6% of the total ethnic minority population. The Zhuang ethnic group was the largest among the permanent resident minorities, with approximately 180,000 people, followed by the Miao ethnic group with about 70,000. Other groups with populations exceeding 10,000 included the Yao, Tujia, Yi, Dong, and Bouyei ethnic groups.

Ethnic minorities are distributed across all 33 towns and subdistricts of the city, primarily consisting of migrant workers with high population mobility. Tangxia Town had the largest ethnic minority population, exceeding 40,000 people, followed by Chang'an Town with over 30,000. Fenggang Town, Humen Town, and Liaobu Town each had populations exceeding 20,000.

The majority of ethnic minorities originated from Guangxi, accounting for 45.3%, followed by Guizhou at 18.7%. Hunan and Yunnan ranked third and fourth, at 14% and 8% respectively. The remaining provinces and cities collectively accounted for 14%.

10. Religion

Multiple cultures converge in Dongguan, where Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, and Catholicism coexist.

11. Culture

11.1 Scenic Spots, Historical Sites, and Local Specialties

Dongguan boasts a long history. Despite being at the forefront of reform and opening-up, it still preserves a considerable number of ancient relics. Remarkably, for a single county-level area, it has seven National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, a rarity in southern China. These seven national-level protected sites cover various categories including ancient ruins, ancient architecture, stone carvings, and important modern historical sites and representative buildings. They are: the Lin Zexu Opium Destruction Pond and Humen Fortress Site, Dongguan Keyuan Garden, the Quejin Pavilion Stele, the Ancient Architectural Complexes of Nanshe Village and Tangwei Village, the Dalingshan Anti-Japanese Base Site, the Haogang Shell Midden Site, and the Shilong South Bridge of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.

The urban area is the cultural center of Dongguan and has the most historical sites. Dongguan Keyuan Garden, one of the Four Famous Gardens of Guangdong from the Qing Dynasty, was built in the 30th year of the Daoguang reign (1850) by Zhang Jingxiu, an official from Guancheng. It is an outstanding representative of Lingnan-style gardens. The Quejin Pavilion Stele, erected in the 21st year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1542), records the story of Li Kai, then magistrate of Panyu, who was sent to Dongguan to handle affairs related to a Siamese merchant ship and refused to accept a reward. It holds significant historical documentary value. The Ying'en Gate is the only remaining part of the old Dongguan city wall. The Jin'ao Zhou Pagoda, built during the Ming Dynasty, stands across the river from Keyuan Garden.

Shilong Town, located northeast of the urban area, is a Famous Historical and Cultural Town of China and was once one of the Four Major Towns of Guangdong. Existing modern historical sites include the Shilong South Bridge of the Kowloon-Canton Railway and Shilong Park.

Humen Town, southwest of the urban area, is world-famous for the Humen Opium Destruction. Existing modern historical sites include the Lin Zexu Opium Destruction Pond and Humen Fortress Site.

Although Nanshe Village in Chashan Town and Tangwei Village in Shipai Town belong to different towns, they are only a few miles apart. Their well-preserved Ming and Qing architectural complexes exhibit distinct Cantonese characteristics and are rare ancient Lingnan villages. Both have been successively listed as Famous Historical and Cultural Villages of China and jointly designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Dongguan City is renowned for producing agarwood (chenxiang), which emits a pleasant fragrance when burned. The refined incense is exported overseas, earning widespread fame. In the past, agarwood from Dongguan (guanxiang) was exported via waterways to a port at the Pearl River Estuary, which is the origin of the name "Hong Kong." Within the city, there is also the Dalingshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Park for Guanxiang, home to over 60,000 agarwood trees, including more than a hundred over a hundred years old and two over a thousand years old. Dongguan's annual agarwood production exceeds one ton, making it the region with the largest agarwood output in China. Future development will focus on the cultural industry related to Guanxiang. The Dongguan Botanical Garden features a special Guanxiang Garden, which has successfully cultivated over 4,000 seedlings, and experts conduct specialized research on Guanxiang.

11.2 Language

The indigenous languages within Dongguan are the Dongguan dialect of the Yue language (Cantonese), belonging to the Guan-Bao subgroup, and Hakka.

The Yue language is used across most of the city's area and by the majority of its population, while Hakka is primarily spoken in a smaller part of the southeastern region adjacent to Huizhou City and Shenzhen. Zhangmutou Town is the city's only purely Hakka-speaking town. The Yue-speaking population in Dongguan is vast and distributed across various towns and villages.

The indigenous Dongguan Yue dialect differs somewhat from standard Guangzhou Cantonese. Linguistically, it is classified under the "Guan-Bao subgroup," referring to the dialects of the Dongguan and Bao'an areas. However, due to geographical proximity to Guangzhou, standard Cantonese is also widely used in the city.

Hakka is distributed in Dongguan's eastern region adjacent to Shenzhen. Among these, Zhangmutou Town is the city's only purely Hakka-speaking town, while Qingxi Town and Fenggang Town are predominantly Hakka-speaking.

Furthermore, Dongguan has a large floating population and many migrant workers. Therefore, Mandarin Chinese is also the most commonly spoken language in Dongguan.

12. Sister Cities

Hartford, United States Panama City, Panama Hong Kong Thessaloniki, Greece (since October 24, 2008)

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Nancheng Subdistrict

Humen Town

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