Editor's Note: In the scorching summer, why travel far to escape the heat? From Guangzhou, it takes less than an hour to reach the hidden water town of Daojiao in Dongguan. It is also easily accessible from Zhaoqing, Foshan, and Huizhou.
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✅️Direct city rail to Daojiao, Dongguan's treasured water town: scenic edition
✅️Direct city rail to Daojiao, Dongguan's treasured water town: food edition
Top Souvenirs
One-stop shopping, plenty of choices
When it comes to souvenirs, it's hard to overlook the time-honored shops and well-known brands.
You can buy these refreshments without concern and share them with your friends. These souvenirs, trusted and recommended by local people, can be bought with confidence and shared with friends. Popular items include lucky wedding cakes, delicious butterfly pastries, almond-flavored cookies, egg puffs, egg rolls, and various rice dumplings essential for the Dragon Boat Festival.
The newly opened Jiajiamei Food Culture Experience Hall boasts a variety of themes, including weddings, festivals, and daily life. With a tea house upstairs for food serving and production lines situated at the back, delicacies await your purchase.
When visiting Daojiao, you must take some Daojiao steamed rice dumplings home.
Famous Hong Kong writer and gourmet Chua Lam commented after tasting Daojiao steamed rice dumplings, "Daojiao's rice dumplings have always been delicious and famous since ancient times. Indeed, they are tasty; I've never had such good rice dumplings."
The charm of Daojiao's steamed rice dumplings lies in their sweet and savory flavors, rich taste, abundant fillings, and profound history.
The Daojiao Steamed Rice Dumpling Culture Museum in Yongqing Village offers various gift boxes for Daojiao steamed rice dumplings.
Long-established shops like Liangji Rice Dumplings, Qiji Food, Risheng Steamed Rice Dumplings, Run Feng Yuan, Weiji Daojiao Rice Dumplings, and Changsheng Daojiao Rice Dumplings have been passed down through generations, innovating new flavors while preserving tradition.
Transportation Guide
Whether you are a local in Dongguan or a friend from the Greater Bay Area, the best way to reach Daojiao is by the Guangdong Intercity Railway, getting off at Daojiao Station.
Residents from towns (parks) like Machong, Hongmei, Wangniudun, Nancheng, Dongcheng, Liaobu, Songshan Lake, Dalang, Changping, Zhangmutou, and Xiegang in Dongguan can board nearby and reach directly.
Citizens from Zhaoqing, Foshan, Guangzhou, and Huizhou also have multiple nearby stations to board and reach directly.
✅️ To Yongqing Village, Xinglong Street, Houde Village:
Get off at Daojiao Station and follow the navigation for a 10-20 minute walk.
✅️ To Yuehui Garden, Dalingya Village, Jiajiamei:
Get off at Daojiao Station and take a taxi.
Tour Guide
✅️ A Walk in Water Town:
• In Yongqing Village, Weihuan Building, Hengzhai Private School, Yongqing Quyi Society, Hongqiao Bridge, and Sanya Bridge are worth a visit;
• Xinglong Street's souvenir shops, dessert shops, and the scenery on both sides are worth savoring;
• The wetland ecology and waterside walkways of North Island Park are perfect for people who enjoy immersing themselves in nature and leisurely enjoying their time;
• The unique Qianchuan Café, He Bian Tea Story, Soy Sauce Tea Shop, and Yidang Café, hidden in the town, hosted by young locals, are sure to surprise you with their offerings.
✅️ Activity Experience:
• Starting from Yongqing Village, you can choose to take a boat tour of Yongqing, Beiyong, Houde, and Daluosha villages, or book special projects such as water town rice popping and traditional boat weddings;
• In Yuehui Garden, you can rent a tandem bike or an electrical bicycle to leisurely explore and weave through the Lingnan Gardens;
• In Dalingya Village, you can gather friends to read and enjoy coffee in the book bar, or experience a thrilling workout at the Champion Camp, with activities like dragon boating, pickleball, rock climbing, kayaking, jungle crossing, karting, and camping.
Food Guide
✅️ Street Food Map:
Daojiao's street foods each have their unique characteristics and unforgettable flavors due to secret family recipes.
✅️ Daojiao's Top Ten Dishes Map:
There are 19 restaurants in Daojiao that serve the top 10 dishes. It is recommended to book the restaurant in advance to ensure the best dining experience.
✅️ Daojiao Rice Dumplings Map:
"Countryside is an open-air museum"
The ecological, cultural, and developmental beauty of Dongguan's countryside amazes every visitor.
Daojiao welcomes everyone to explore the cultural features and development charm of this water town.
Author | Tonny (intern), Chua
Editor | Monica, Nina, James
Photo | Dongguan Fabu
