Dongguan has a long history. Archaeological excavations show that ancient aboriginals inhabited and flourished in Dongguan since the Neolithic Age some 5,000 years ago. Haogang Shell Mound, where the earliest habitation remains have been found, is regarded as ‘The First Village in the Pearl River Delta.’ The origin of Dongguan as a town can be traced back 1,200 years ago. In 1839, the world-famous opium incineration just before the First Opium War took place in Dongguan’s Humen Town, marking the opening of a new chapter in China’s modern history. It was also the anti-Japanese base of Dongjiang People during the War of Resistance against Japan.

As a famous historical city, Dongguan embraces a wide range of folk arts such as Dragon Boat Racing, Dragon-Lion Dancing and Cantonese Opera. In fact, it is known in China as the home to weightlifting, basketball, Dragon Boat Racing, swimming, Dragon-Lion Dancing and other folk arts. Dongguan was an important region for the development of southern Chinese culture. Cultural heritages such as the Multi-Angle Lantern – which dates from the Song Dynasty and was regarded as ‘The Top Lantern in China’ – and a great number of memorial temples have been well preserved. Remarkable heroes were raised in this land including Yuan Chonghuan, Xiongfei and Jiang Guangnai.

Dongguan’s city spirit is represented by the Chinese couplet: ‘The vast ocean embraces streams to its tide; keep benevolent and pragmatic.’ Influenced by deep-rooted southern Chinese culture and extensive international economic activities, a multi-faceted new culture has emerged in Dongguan. In recent years, by implementing a ‘Famous Culture City’ strategy, a series of cultural facilities such as the Yulan Theatre, Dongguan Library, Dongguan Exhibition Center, and the Science and Technology Museum have been constructed.

The city’s libraries, museums and cultural squares are burgeoning, ever adding more cultural flavor to Dongguan. The public cultural service of Dongguan has topped their national counterparts. Furthermore, Dongguan has successfully developed a demonstration area of public cultural service system in November, 2013, which is the only one in Guangdong province and one of the first group in China.