For my 5th and final long trip to China during my 14-week stay in Hong Kong in 2025, I went to Dongguan with my sister, our other brother and his wife for a long weekend – just a day after the Yunnan trip!
The high speed train from West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong to Dongguan took just about an hour.
Dongguan
Dongguan is one of the 9 cities in the Greater Bay Area, an economic and innovation hub that includes Hong Kong and Macau. Although it’s still known as “Factory of the world”, since 2010, Dongguan has gradually transformed itself from a labour-intensive city into a high-tech electronic innovator, thanks largely to the presence of the Huawei R&D campus in the Songshan Lake Hi-Tech Zone. It’s an eco-friendly zone with over 60% green coverage, integrating high-tech industries with nature.
Qian Kun Run Songhu Hotel (乾坤潤鬆湖酒店)
We chose this hotel because it’s located in the Songshan Lake area. This comfortable modern hotel was open in 2023. It’s in a quiet location within walking distance to the ULAND Cultural and Arts District
ULAND Cultural and Arts District (松山湖文化藝術街區)
This district is a modern hub for art, culture, tech, and leisure in the Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone. it’s characterised by five distinctive buildings shaped like sailboats, creating a visually striking architectural landscape. Zhongshuge bookstore and a Calligraphy Museum are housed in 2 of these buildings.
Zhongshuge bookstore 鍾書閣
This chain of bookstores has become a benchmark for striking and innovative bookstores in China, known for stunning designs and cultural products. From around 20 branches in 2020, the number of stores had grown to 40 by early 2023 in multiple cities, including the one in Shenzhen that I visited last year.
Xixi Ancient Village (Xixi Gucun) 西溪古村
It seems that every prosperous Chinese city must have an ancient town or village! Dongguan is no exception.
Xixi Ancient Village is a well-preserved Ming Dynasty village dating back to around 1621 and grew in the Qing Dynasty. It’s known for its traditional Lingnan architecture, ancient buildings like ancestral halls and academies.
It came alive after dark with people hiring Hanfu (ancient costumes) to pose for photos or wandering around the local craft shops. It’s also a popular spot for evening strolls around the large lotus pond, the reflection of which lit up the night.
Huawei European Town campus
We chose to visit Dongguan primarily because of the famous Huawei European Town campus in the Songshan Lake area which replicates 12 European cities on its 300-acre site. Despite its European-themed architecture (like castles and villages), it’s a functional R&D research campus, with limited access for employees’ families, clients and guests.
We had hoped to walk around the perimeter for views of the campus from afar. We set aside half a day on our second day to do so. Unfortunately, disaster struck in the morning! My sister-in-law fell and hurt her legs, and my sister also felt unwell. We had to be contented with just a glimpse of the main entrance and cut short our trip!
