Dongguan,[a] alternately romanized via Cantonese as Tungkun, is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China.

[4] Dongguan ranks behind only Shenzhen, Shanghai and Suzhou in exports among Chinese cities, with $65.54 billion in shipments.

In the Pearl River Delta region Dongguan was the first urban area where joint production was implemented between village collectives, local Chinese Communist Party cadre, and foreign investors.

[8] Today Dongguan is a major manufacturing hub, although it suffered significant loss of economic activity from the impact of the 2007–2008 financial crisis.

The museum is a partnership with the Global IT Academy of the Brea Olinda Unified School District in Southern California, demonstrating the city's emphasis on attracting technology business.

This may be because the city has focused on infrastructure investment rather than the direct targeting of major corporations with financial incentives for economic development.

Nevertheless, Dongguan has been identified by high level representatives of the National Development and Reform Commission of the central government as one of the most significant growth regions for technology in the coming years.

[16] To cope with the impact of the financial crisis, Dongguan city is looking to industrial restructuring, focusing on four pillar platforms, these are governmental services, supporting measures, technology upgrade, and market expansion.

The city government claims that this process has already enhanced its capability for independent innovation and the quantity of patent applications in 2008.

The same day Guangdong Provincial Police raided and closed all saunas, bars, foot massages, karaokes, and other businesses associated with the sex industry.

The residual effects of the crackdown affected the livelihood of taxi drivers and restaurants who, while not directly involved in the sex industry, benefited from the increased clientele.

[24] During this period the city changed its focus from an agricultural town into a manufacturing hub, with an average annual growth of up to 18 percent.

Line 2 will link towns in Western Dongguan, thereby promoting the connection of the entire downtown area with Houjie, Humen and Chang'an.

It will also support Dongguan's regional transportation with other cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong by joining with the rail transit junctions of the Pearl River Delta.

The new cultural hub houses two theaters presenting a full schedule of performances, including Romeo and Juliet and the Chinese classic Butterfly Lovers.

[43][citation needed] The city and province have been the recent focus of press and journalist attention with coverage of the many young Chinese workers, principally females (so-called factory girls), from agricultural areas who work in the area's factories and manufacturing/assembly facilities, where many are housed in large dormitories, usually several to a room.

[44] An article in the High Tech Misery in China series reports research conducted, over 2008 to 2009, on working conditions at one of the city's major keyboard makers (Dongguan Meitai Plastics & Electronics Factory); in it, Meitai factory won some unwanted attention due to the poor conditions for its young, mostly female workers.

The article[45] includes details of those conditions, photos, translations of employer's rules and evidence that well-known computer brands use this keyboard supplier's products.

Also, Dongguan has built a notoriety within China for its various types of brothels, massage parlors, nightclubs, sauna centers and karaoke bars.