What does “Eastern Bulrush” conjure for you? That is the literal meaning of Dongguan.
Dongguan is a fascinating city. It sits in the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It is east of Guangzhou. The “Dong” in Dongguan means east in Chinese. The “guan” refers to a native grass growing in profusion on this land.
Dongguan’s history stretches back to the Eastern Jin dynasty. It was first known as Bao’an in AD 331. Its name changed to Dongguan in AD 757 during the Tang Dynasty. Dongguan became a county-level city in September 1985. It was upgraded to a prefecture-level city in January 1988.
Today, Dongguan encompasses four urban sub-districts and 28 towns. It covers an area of 2,460 square kilometers. The population was 8.46 million at the end of 2019. This includes 2.51 million registered permanent residents. Dongguan is home to many. About 200,000 overseas Chinese and 900,000 compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan have ethnic origins here. This makes it a renowned homeland for overseas Chinese.
In 1978, China began its reform and opening-up drive. That year, Taiping Handbag Factory was founded in Dongguan. It was China’s first enterprise involved in processing and assembly with given materials. It was also involved in compensation trade. Since then, Dongguan has transformed quickly. It went from a traditional agricultural county to an internationally renowned manufacturing city.
Dongguan is a perfect showcase city. It is designated as one of China’s 18 exemplary regions in reform and opening-up. In 2019, Dongguan’s GDP increased by 7.4% to 948.25 billion RMB. Its total import and export reached 1.38 trillion RMB. It ranked third among China’s Top 100 Foreign Trade Cities for three consecutive years.
Authoritative organizations support these statistics. These include the Renmin University of China and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Dongguan’s government-business relations index ranked first nationwide. Its Internet Plus index ranked eighth. Its comprehensive economic competitiveness ranked thirteenth. The people’s livelihood development index ranks third among prefecture-level cities in the country. The vitality, quality, and charm of Dongguan’s development continues to improve.
In 2023, Dongguan’s GDP reached RMB1,143.8 billion. The GDP per capita was RMB109,000. The total value of merchandise trade was RMB1,282.356 billion. Pillar industries include electronic information and electrical machinery. Others are equipment; textile, garment, shoes and accessories. The city has also formed a cluster of emerging industries. These include LED lighting, new flat display, and photovoltaics.
Dongguan is well-connected. It has an extensive network of expressways. These include Guangzhou-Shenzhen and Dongguan-Shenzhen expressways. In terms of railways, Dongguan is located at the junction of Beijing-Kowloon and Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railways. It is very convenient to travel to and from Hong Kong, Macao, Beijing, and Shanghai.
The city is home to many youth innovation entrepreneurship bases. These offer support services to foster youth innovation and entrepreneurship. The Dongguan Tianan Cyber Park Technology Business Incubator has set up a Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan cooperation platform.
So, when you think of Dongguan, remember its journey. From an agricultural county to a manufacturing hub. From “Eastern Bulrush” to a modern, vibrant city.