Things to Do in Dongguan
Explore popular experiences
See what other travellers like to do, based on ratings and number of bookings.
Book these experiences for a closer look at the region.
- Historical Tours
The Best of Dongguan Walking Tour
0 reviewsfromper group (up to 15)RM 2,153 - Bus Toursfromper adultRM 3,269
- Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)RM 916
- Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)RM 911
- Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)RM 1,036
- fromper adult (price varies by group size)RM 747
- Private and Luxuryfromper adult (price varies by group size)RM 916
- Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)RM 723
- Private and Luxuryfromper adultRM 429
- Historical Toursfromper adultRM 362
Other Top Attractions around Dongguan
What travellers are saying
- CMSoonKuala Lumpur, Malaysia140 contributionsA very interesting museum on the history of Bristish oppression on China with Opium trade and how the chinese fought the addiction and degradation of the society.
Very good account and records of the events leading to the various Opium Wars and subsequent forced agreesion from western countries into opening China. There are both chinese and english translation transcript.
This is a must see if you go to Dongguan. Entry is free. Would take at least 2-3 hours of reading at leisure if you are interested.Written 5 January 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - MarishaanZengcheng, China96 contributionsI run here most mornings and it is a beautiful park. It is clean and green with tons of little paths and stairways. It is filled with runners and people who cycle and walk. Lovely place to go and see.Written 10 September 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Hao1988Barcelona, Spain11 contributionsI went there recently during the National Day holiday in China, so it was likely much busier than usual. It was a little bemusing that the ticketed "beach" area with the best views was closed to visitors. As were the boat rental services. You'd think they'd want to milk as much of the holiday spending as possible, but I guess the people who ran those facilities wanted to go home too. lol
That said, the free area was still huge. So large that people tend to rent bikes of all varieties to ride around it. On a nice sunny day, the views are gorgeous. Pictures say it all so I won't waffle about it.
Another point to note is that there's a village (maybe more than one) inside the park. Depending on which entrance you take to the park, you might end up walking through it to get to the scenic parts of the lake. The village itself looks pretty rundown, dusty and not what you'd expect of a scenic park, but curiously, they are doing a roaring business in traditional Chinese rural feasts. (农家乐) The locals seem to love it. There's literally queues of fancy cars from the big cities lining up to eat at a village that would not look out of place from China of 30 years ago. I guess it's the nostalgia and authenticity people are looking for? Personally I prefer a nicer environment, so I cannot tell you how good the food might be.Written 7 October 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - LeonhknyHong Kong, China14,495 contributionsAs its name says, this is the de facto city center of Dongguan. A new face of the traditionally industrial city, the square is neat, lush and expansive. Offering a nice view of downtown, it is also surrounded by the city government complexes as well as some of the tallest skyscrapers in the city.Written 16 March 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Arnold ChnSan Francisco, CA70 contributionsThe museum depicts a great historical perspective concerning the nautical history of Dongguan. A lesser known maritime history than Guangzhou but pivotal in Defense of the Pearl River Delta.Written 15 July 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Douglas MGuangzhou, China2,373 contributionsSWMBO and I decided to kick-off the year with a trip to DongGuan. Where to visit was the problem. I wanted to visit the either the Opium War Museum or HuMen Naval Museum or Sea Battle Museum (both TA reviewed) but SWMBO wanted some fresh air not the stuffy confines of a museum so it had to be a park. We hadn’t been impressed by YueHui Park (TA reviewed) so she chose KeYuan Garden.
We caught the coach from GuangZhou coach terminal which is practically next door the main railway station. You must have your passport with you to buy coach and rail tickets. The one-way fare for the one-hour journey was ¥40 yuan plus ¥2 for travel insurance.
On the coach for the first twenty minutes you are ‘entertained’ by videos of the desirability of wearing a seatbelt when the coach crashes, and how to break the windows and evacuate the coach when smoke billows out from the floor. The ¥2 for travel insurance feels like a bargain. I’m amazed prayer mats or rosary beads aren’t available for the more anxious passenger.
Anyway, we arrived safely at DongGuan coach station. We then found the No. 28 bus stand and amazingly there was one waiting and the driver told us it was just four stops to KeYuan. The fare was ¥1 cash each. Note GuangZhou travel cards aren’t accepted and no change is given, an ideal opportunity to get rid of all the small denomination coins in my purse!
After going through the bus-wash, we were soon at the KeYaun stop and the ever-helpful driver told SWMBO the gardens were on the other side of the road about 100 metres back along the road. We crossed the road and stopped at a smallish shop to buy a packet of biscuits to munch on for lunch. The shopkeeper also persuaded as to part with an extra ¥2 for a small bag of fish food. This proved to be ¥2 well spent.
The KeYuan was now only about 50 metres further on. Entry was ¥8 for SWMBO but I waved my passport and being sufficiently ancient got in for free.
A brief history; the house and garden were built by Zhang JingXiu between 1850 and 1864, the year he died at the age of 41. He continued the family tradition of being in the military and government and thereby accumulating wealth. He built the house and garden for himself and artist friends as a place where they could immerse themselves in the creative arts of painting and poetry. SWMBO reckons that at the end of the Qing dynasty in the early 20th century many of these rich families emigrated to America and just left the properties vacant. It’s only in recent years that the government, both at local and national level, have rescued them and saved them as places of historical and cultural importance. Another example of house and garden created by a wealthy government official is YuYin Hill House in the PanYu district (TA reviewed).
Anyway, we strolled around the house and gardens, stopping briefly to admire the scenery while we munched biscuits and sipped tea for mid-afternoon refresher. Be aware there are no refreshments available on-site.
There’s a music room that seemed ready for a performance with various Chinese instruments but unfortunately there was no one there to pluck or twang them. There are plenty of other rooms, some with sticks of old furniture and other that have chairs which are ideal for resting weary legs.
Of course, we climbed to the top of the tower for a nice view of the garden. Before DongGuan was developed the view must have been spectacular. In the exhibition dedicated to Zhang JingXiu there a photo from 1964 which will give you an impression of the development that occurred in the last 50 years.
The house is a popular place for locals to be photographed draped over various pieces of furniture and railings. We just smiled as we pushed past as they attempted the perfect pose. Talk about mutton dressed-up as lamb!
There were plenty of hungry fish of all sizes in the ponds to enjoy the ¥2 bag of fish food. Even the swans on the lake were partial to it. I even dipped into the supply that I carry in my man-bag.
Note, you’ll need your ticket to stroll into the lake area and visit the new ‘art’ museum, so don’t lose it. We were adventurous and pushed on towards the wild and slightly forgotten part of the garden. It’s so nice and quiet that there was mahjong session in full swing under a large tree with a bevy of excited grand dames shuffling the tiles.
After three hours SWMBO decided that it was time to head back home, the No. 28 bus stop is just by the entrance. Only take the No. 28, others may end-up at the bus station but only after a circuitous trip around the city.
Back at the bus station it was another ¥84 for two tickets and a ten- minute wait for the coach. The return was a few minutes longer as the driver stopped for 211 litres of fuel for ¥1410. Another grand day out!Written 10 January 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - John TLondon, UK699 contributionsIt's definitely worth going for the park which is very nice. There are lots of trails and many lead up hill to a pagoda with some great views. We found some fairly unused trails which meant few people and some peace and quiet. The funfair was poorly maintained and mostly closed. It may have been the time of day, the fact there were no visitors, or the people were too busy eating lunch. In any case, no interest in helping us or selling us rides.Written 3 November 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- MarcusKarlsruhe, Germany2 contributionsThe hiking tour was started at the northern trail (one of two, between central parking and Trail gate) and the ascent path is 2700 meters long. The steep way to the top is using stairs towards mountain peak. The way down we used the long southern path (3900 meter). The view is beautiful and worth to climb the mountain at good weather. You should pick some water and something to eat before starting.Written 29 December 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- RachelNashville, TN206 contributionsThis exhibition hall traces thousands of years of history of Dongguan. It was very interesting, albeit not very interactive. We came here in a group and were assigned an English-speaking guide. Our guide was really patient and her English was very good and easy to understand, so we were able to learn a lot. I did feel like our tour was a bit rushed at times. There were many signs in English and I wanted to read them but had to keep moving to keep up with the guide. The displays are so beautiful and artistic; they were my favorite part of the exhibition. Some of the children in our group weren’t as entertained here because a lot of the displays are not interactive and don’t hold children’s attention for very long, but it was still a good experience for them to learn some history.Written 31 December 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Aaron CUnion, ME105 contributionsA few friends and I decided to visit Chang'an Park and hike through then park. My friends were younger so our pace was brisk and I was winded at the top. This could be a much easier hike at a slower pace. There is a lake where you can feed carp and plenty of benches to sit in the shade on a hot day. This is a great escape if you have a few free hours or half day. Make sure to bring a camera, there are lots of birds and a temple.Written 11 July 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Michael SherlockDili, Timor-Leste3,439 contributionsnice park to visit and get away from the busy streets of the town with all its traffic and commercial activityWritten 6 May 2017This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- KodoDrummerBuenos Aires, Argentina65,207 contributionsMount Guanyin, of Dongguan, was named after a stone that looked like Guanyin. Great place to relax in the subtropical weather, and enjoy another natural beauty of China.Written 26 August 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dongguan
- The top attractions to visit in Dongguan are:
- Songshan Lake Park
- Qifeng Park
- Opium War Museum
- National Forest Park of Mount Guanyin
- Shuilianshan Forest Park
- The best outdoor activities in Dongguan according to Tripadvisor travellers are:
- Qifeng Park
- Songshan Lake Park
- Shuilianshan Forest Park
- National Forest Park of Mount Guanyin
- Huying Country Park
- The most popular things to do in Dongguan with children according to Tripadvisor travellers are:See all kid friendly things to do in Dongguan on Tripadvisor