Dongguan

Built in 1384, this is the sole surviving remnant of Dongguan’s once imposing city wall.

Oddly enough, this confusingly named museum seems to cover everything about the opium trade except the Opium Wars. The biggest focus is on Lin Zexu's heroic 1839 campaign to destroy imported opium; the wars that ensued are scarcely given a mention. The museum has lots of interesting artifacts, though the labels and their English translations leave something to be desired in terms of precision. Next door to the left is Humen Story (虎门故事), a small museum of Humen's history. To the right is Yuxu Ancient Temple, a small temple that's more than 200 years old and thus saw both opium wars. Back toward the ticket gate and to your left, you will see the water-filled pits that Lin Zexu used to destroy confiscated opium, though the historical marker is in Chinese only.

This is the real museum for the Opium Wars: a detailed presentation of their context, details, and aftermath. The museum represents the official Chinese government interpretation of the Opium Wars – don't expect any kind of balanced presentation (though in fairness, from a 21st-century perspective it's hard to deny the British were in the wrong). For non-military history buffs, possibly the most fascinating part of the museum is the hallway at the beginning that displays Qing Dynasty history on one side and the Enlightenment on the other side, for a clear sense of what was happening at the same time in China and in Europe. Most of the information is bilingual in Chinese and English, and the English translations are not perfect but comprehensible. The museum's parking places are limited, and visitors are advised to use public transport during public holidays.

A 19th-century coastal fort that saw action during the Opium Wars. A little to the left and across the street from the exit is a trail that goes up the hill and over the highway to the ruins of other forts nearby, which are less interesting than Weiyuan Fort but also less crowded. The ticket for the Sea Battle Museum also gives you access to the fort.

Built in 1801, this fort is closer to the open sea than the other forts in Humen and formed part of the Pearl River's first line of defence together with the Dajiao Hill Fort on the other side of the river in Guangzhou's Nansha District. Below the fort is a small dock that was used by Lin Zexu for confiscating opium.

A museum dedicated to the use of agarwood in Chinese culture. Agarwood is a type of wood that is highly valued in China and other Asian countries due to its aromatic and medicinal properties. Visitors are expected to make a booking on the museum’s WeChat account before visiting the museum. The WeChat account name is ‘香市文化旅游区’ (Xiangshi Cultural Tourism Area).

Animal and acrobat performances are held here at 10:40 and 15:00 on weekdays, and at 10:40, 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30 on public holidays.

A well-preserved traditional village on the west bank of the Hanxi River. The village was founded in 1489 and has around 200 buildings dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

A museum established by a private art collector. It displays a range of different items, including paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and bronzeware. The museum website has not been updated since 2013. Visitors should refer to the museum’s WeChat public account for the latest updates.

A small museum on the history of the town of Fenggang. One of the highlights is an exhibition about Yang Guanlin, one of the most famous xiangqi players of all time and winner of China’s first ever national xiangqi championship in 1956. The exhibition features wax models of Yang and his opponent Hu Ronghua facing each other off at Guangzhou Culture Park in 1961.

A memorial museum dedicated to telling the story of the East River Column (also known as the Dongjiang Column), a Communist-affiliated guerrilla army that fought the Japanese during the Second World War and later took part in the Chinese Civil War. The museum is on a hill overlooking the historic village of Dawangling, which is where the East River Column's main base was located from 1940 to 1943. The village of course can also be visited and several of the buildings that made up the army base are open to the public.

Literally "lotus mountain", paved with extensive hiking paths. There's a temple not too far up.

A European-themed model village serving as a campus for Huawei engineers, with twelve building groups connected by a tram system. Contains clones of parts of e.g. Český Krumlov, Verona, Bologna, Budapest, Granada.

The highest mountain in Dongguan, on the border between Xiegang Town and Huizhou. A beautiful area with waterfalls, paved trails, and cable cars.

Dedicated to Yuan Chonghuan (1584-1630), a famous Ming Dynasty general who defeated the Jurchen leader Nurhaci at the Battle of Ningyuan in 1626. It includes a re-creation of Yuan Chonghuan’s house, a memorial hall and a large statue.

A traditional Lingnan style garden built by a wealthy farmer in 2005. It is larger than the more famous Ke Garden, but tends to receive fewer visitors.

Home of the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

A theme park resort based on the theme of marriage and romance. It features several dozen amusement rides, a marriage customs museum, a theater and a shopping center. Accommodation is available at the Castfast Hotel (嘉辉会酒店).