Dongguan is a city of many. In an area of 2,465 sq km, the city has a population of 6,949,800 registered permanent residents (2008), of which barely 2 million (1,748,700) were actually born here. The remaining 5,201,100 (75%) are permanent immigrants from other parts of China.

Contributing to its fame of migration, Dongguan is known as hometown (birthplace) of many overseas Chinese. Over 700,000 people native to Dongguan now live in Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, and another 200,000 reside in other places across the world. This characteristic may be one of the reasons why Dongguan’s industry flourishes with great foreign investment.

Throughout its history, since 331 AD, many people have contributed greatly and won themselves a place among famous and significant Dongguan people. Among them, Lin Zexu would be the most famous. He was recognized for his role during the Opium Wars in Guangzhou. His conduct and constant position on the "moral high-ground" during battles guaranteed him the people’s trust, and allowed him to act as a "shepherd" to them. Although the non-medicinal consumption of opium was banned by Emperor Yongzheng in 1729, by the 1830s China's economy and society were continuously affected by huge imports of the drug from British traders and others. Lin's forceful opposition to the trade on moral and social grounds is considered to be the primary catalyst for the First Opium War (1839 – 42). Because of this firm stance, he was subsequently considered a role model for moral governance, particularly by Chinese people. In Dongguan, there is Lin Zexu Memorial Museum in remembrance of this hero’s brave and ethical attitudes.

Yuan Chonghuan is another mentionable hero born in Dongguan. Although he didn’t spend many years in his birthtown, he spent enough time to receive key skills and knowledge. He grew to become a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty, the dynasty that battled with the epic Manchus in Liaoning. He was known to have excelled in artillery warfare and successfully incorporated Western tactics into Eastern battles. Yuan's military career reached its height when he defeated Nurhaci and the Manchurian army in the First Battle of Ningyuan. Nurhaci's son and successor, Huang Taiji, was also defeated by Yuan Chonghuan, the Second Battle of Ningyuan. Although his many successes, Yuan Chonghuan is considered to be a tragic figure. Huang Taiji deliberately planted forged evidence that would incriminate and lead to false charges and inevitable execution of Yuan Chonghuan. Visitors can go to the Yuan Chonghuan Memorial to observe and learn more of his legendary life.