Dongguan has a long history. According to historical records, in the Neolithic age, there were primitive people living together along the Dongjiang River. In the Xia Dynasty in the 20th century BC, Dongguan was a traffic hub in the south. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Dongguan belonged to the "Land of Hundred Leaps".

In 2 14 BC, Qin Shihuang unified China, and Dongguan belonged to Panyu County, Nanhai County. When Emperor Shundi was in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zengcheng was established in Panyu and Zengcheng was established in Dongguan. From 222 to 228 AD, it was divided into Lidongguan County, Zengcheng. During the Jin Dynasty, Dongguan belonged to Panyu and Zengcheng. In the sixth year of Xianhe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 33 1 year), Lixian County in Dongguan was named Baoan. In the second year of Tang Suzong to Germany (757), it was renamed Dongguan. Starting with Dongguan as the county name, it is said that it is named after the rich aquatic plants (ten thousand grasses) in the territory. In the sixth year of Ganfu (879), the Huang Chao Uprising Army captured Guangzhou, and once divided its troops to the county town and Meitang area. In the sixth year of Dabao in the Southern Han Dynasty in the Five Dynasties (963), Meichuan was located in Dongguan, specializing in pearl picking. In the 22nd year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1 152), Xiangshan County (now Zhongshan City) was established in Xiangshan Town, Dongguan. In the spring of the second year of Deyou (1276), Yuan soldiers broke Lin 'an (now Hangzhou) and the Southern Song Dynasty was in danger. Xiong Fei, a native of Dongguan, joined the army in Liuhua Village. In the 15th year of Jacky (1355), the people of Dongguan revolted one after another, and Wang Cheng occupied Shigang, Long Fu, Shi Chong and Hengli. Chen Zhongyu according to Wu Yuan; Li Queqing according to Nanzha and Jing Kangchang; Wenzhong leads Dongpu; Wu Yanming works in Nantou and Dongguan. There are Zeng, Zheng Runqing, Yang Runqing, Liang, Liu Xianqing and Xiao Hanming. This person has also set out to fight the Yuan soldiers. In the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1394), Nanhaiwei set up Dongguan (Nantou) to keep thousands of houses and Dapeng to keep thousands of houses. In the year of Zheng Deyuan (1506), the Portuguese came from the east and occupied Tuen Mun and Hai 'ao, which are near the sea, in the name of tribute titles. In the tenth year of Chongzhen (1637), British warships entered Humen for the first time. In June of the eighth year of Qing Qianlong (1743), British warships drifted to the lion ocean in Humen. The government sent Yin, the magistrate of a county in Dongguan, to declare the righteousness, and the British ship left in September. 1September, 808, three British warships sailed into Humen, docked at Huangpu, and stayed unreasonably for three or four months before leaving. In order to prevent the invasion of British ships, a new fort named Xinpushan was built in Humen Pavilion the following year, and a "sinking stone" was carried out at Jiaomen Haikou to control the waterway from Humen to Shiziyang. In the 19th year of Daoguang (1839), on January 28th (1March 3rd), imperial envoy Lin Zexu and governor Deng Tingzhen went to Humen to meet Guan Tianpei and recruited 22 large ships. In April (June 3-25), Lin Zexu and Deng Tingzhen publicly destroyed 20,283 boxes of opium in Humentan. This is the "Humen exterminating opium" that shocked China and foreign countries.

1840 In May, the first Opium War broke out and Humen became the main battlefield. In July, Lin Zexu personally went to Humen to inspect. In February, the Qing court sent General Yishan to Guangzhou to pacify the situation. On the fifth day (25th), the British army captured the battery of crossbar and Humen, and Guan Tianpei died. 10 (1856), the second opium war broke out. British troops attacked Humen and crossbar, and destroyed Dajiaobao and Yaxiniang Fort. Then he attacked Dongguan, and Deng Anbang led a delegation to fight bravely to defend Guancheng. Dongguan has a glorious revolutionary tradition. Lin Zexu wrote a glorious chapter in China's modern history by destroying opium in Humen, which is the pioneer of China's modern history. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it was the anti-Japanese base of Dongjiang people, and thousands of Dongguan sons and daughters fought bravely for national independence and national prosperity and gave their lives. Dongguan has a long history, culture and glorious revolutionary tradition, and has become a famous historical and cultural city in South Guangdong.

In the early days of liberation, Dongguan was under the jurisdiction of Dongjiang Administrative Region. 1952, which belongs to the administrative region of central Guangdong. 1956, belonging to Huiyang area. 1985, approved by the State Council, Dongguan was listed as the Pearl River Delta Economic Development Zone. In September of the same year, the county was withdrawn and the city was established. 1988 1 upgraded to a prefecture-level city directly under Guangdong province.