Houjie

Houjie Town (厚街, Mandarin: Hòujiē) is a town in Dongguan City, China, on the east bank of the Pearl River. It has a permanent population of 93,000 with official residency, but more than 400,000 who have migrated from elsewhere in China. Like much of the surrounding area, economic activity is dominated by manufacturing.

Orientation
While the town spans to the east, the city center is approximately Houjie Avenue and Kangle Road. Houjie Avenue is a six-lane divided highway running west to east (roads do not follow cardinal directions, it's more northwest to southeast). Going east on Houjie street will take you past the Haiyatt Garden Hotel and eventually to the Guangshen Expressway, which runs between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Kangle Road is the town's main drag—a two-lane road that runs through the busy main shopping area towards the south.

Houjie's large square is one block south of Houjie Avenue on Kangle Road.

Paralleling Kangle road a block south is Guantai Road, a massive 8-lane divided highway that Sheraton and HJ International hotels are found on. North on Guantai Road leads to Dongguan City, while Humen Town is to the south.

By plane
The majority of international visitors arrive via Hong Kong International Airport, or Guangzhou Airport (Baiyun). Shenzhen Bao'an Airport is also quite close.

Train & bus
The cheapest method of transport is not the easiest. Board the S1 bus at HKIA (HK$3.2), get off at the Tung Chung MTR station. Board the orange line, transfer to red line, green line, then light blue line to Lo Wu (HK$48). Cross the border on foot, and in the coach station find the bus to Houjie (¥45, last bus at 21:00). This will take you to the bus station near Houjie square.

From Shenzhen International Airport
From Shenzhen airport, the Guangzhou–Shenzhen intercity railway stops in Houjie on its way to other parts of Dongguan and Guangzhou East Station.

Alternatively, the bus to Dongguan Central Terminal will pass Humen and then Houjie, so either get off at Humen and then use the Dongguan Metro or taxi, or ask to be dropped while passing Houjie. In the latter case, the bus may be only able to drop you at the highway exit, in which case you'll have to take a taxi for the last mile.

By train


Alternatively, you can take a high-speed train to Humen Station—this is probably your fastest option if coming from Hong Kong. A taxi from Humen to Houjie costs ¥30-40. A metro (Humen Railway Station is the southern terminus of Dongguan Metro line 2) will cost ¥5.

By metro
Dongguan Metro, open in 2016, will cost ¥5 from central Dongguan and ¥10 if all the way from the Dongguan Railway Station. Getting off at Liaoxia station, you will end up standing across the road from the large Wanda mall, one block north from Houjie Avenue.

By bus
Public buses are available from other parts of Dongguan.

From Shenzhen, the coach station, on the street level at Lo Wu (Luohu), has a bus to the station near Houjie square. ¥45, 1-1.5 hour, last bus leaves at 21:00.

From Zhuhai, the coach station at Gongbei has a bus to Dongguan City (¥60) that will drop you at the highway exit in Houjie if that's the destination you buy a ticket for. There you will find a limited number of private drivers waiting to take you downtown. The fare to downtown should be about ¥20, but they will often try to charge up to ¥50.

By taxi
A taxi from downtown Dongguan costs about ¥90. A taxi from Shenzhen to Houjie costs between ¥220-260.

Get around
Dongguan metro line 2 is built under the central Guantai Road (next to the east and parallel to Kangla Road), is comfortable and cheap (¥5 for all the trips within the Houjie town, up to ¥10 for longer trips within Dongguan), and is highly recommended if your destination is not so far from the metro station.

Taxis can usually be hailed on busy streets, though they are a bit harder to find on multilane divided highways. Drivers seldom speak English, and fares should be negotiated before getting in the cab. A short trip under a mile should be ¥10. Across town is about ¥20. ¥40 should easily take you to the next town over.

Bicycle taxi is fun and easy way to get around the downtown area. They can be identified by the padded seat in back, and carry up to 2 (or 3!) people. A trip anywhere around downtown should cost ¥5. Most won't overcharge, but it's not a bad idea to agree on price in advance. Riding on the back of a bicycle in Chinese traffic is not an experience for the faint of heart.

Massage
Massage is a terrific and relaxing way to spend extra hours in China. It's much more affordable than in the West, and the service is very good. Contrary to popular belief, it's very unlikely you will be offered any "special" service. A good word to know is "轻点" (qīngdiǎn) meaning "softer". Chinese massage can be a bit intense when not accustomed to it.

Foot massage lasts about 60–90 minutes, and includes a back, neck, arm and leg massage, and foot washing. All while in a lazyboy recliner. Price is ¥40-70.

Body massage lasts 90–120 minutes. There is often an option with or without massage oil, and the price is slightly higher with oil.



Most high-end hotels offer massage services, but they cost more than the independent options. Expect 1½-3 times the price of other places, for the same quality of service.

Sports
Badminton, basketball, and ping pong are popular sports in China.



Hiking

 * Fushengang (福神岗): a popular park nearby downtown. It is north of the Tesco Supermarket, on a long walk down Caiyun East Rd. There are areas to hike, but the main attraction is the towering pagoda at the top of the hill. On clear days, there are terrific views of the whole town.
 * Dalingshan (大龄山) has a hilly landscape and good views. It can be reached by a public bus.

KTV
Ubiquitous in China, these clubs will rent you and up to 20 friends a private room for karaoke. Most non-budget hotels have KTV facilities.

Parks

 * Henggang Reservoir (横岗水库) is in the Tingshan region east of the Guangshen expressway. It's on Hujing Rd - which is the road that extends east of the expressway exit. Here there are opportunities to go fishing and find barbeque.

Eat
Places to eat fall into three distinct categories. Budget includes hawker stalls, alley barbeques with plastic chairs, and the like—most of which are outdoors. Midrange covers indoor sit down restaurants, that mostly cater to local Chinese. While splurge restaurants generally offer foreign foods aimed at western palates.

Most open-minded people will find that good food can be found at any price point. Budget and mid range options usually do not speak English. Any knowledge of Mandarin helps, but one can also get by pointing—at picture menus, at things they have sitting out, or at items that other patrons are eating.

Like most of Asia, some discretion should be taken with what you eat. As a rule, it's safe if it has been thoroughly cooked (boiled, fried, or grilled), peeled in the case of fruits or vegetables, or opened from a sealed container (bottled, canned). Food from any budget range is usually safe to eat accordingly.

As far as water is concerned, do not drink tap water. However, water and tea served in restaurants is safe if it arrives hot - this means it has been boiled. Ice is generally always fine to consume, as the water is purified.

Budget
Hawker stalls selling various items can be found in busy areas, many on Kangle Street near the main square. Popular items include a Chinese style pizza, fruits, tofu, chestnuts, steamed buns. Food quality at these stalls varies.

Outdoor sit-down
Alley outdoor eating is very rewarding and cheap, and is ubiquitous in sidestreets of Houjie. They are easily distinguishable by the small tables and even smaller plastic chairs. Most places have a selection of meats and vegetables on a stick you can choose, which will be grilled and seasoned spicy. With no Mandarin you can get by picking these out, and they'll be delivered to your table. Beer is served cold in large bottles. These same restaurants also have various other items available to order including fried rice, fried noodles, hot pot, etc. If it's the rainy season, look for places that can pull out an awning. Items on a stick are ¥1, a 600 ml beer will run you ¥5-7, fried rice ¥5-7, hot pot about ¥25-35.

Some locations include the diagonal street connecting the Hyatt and Sheraton Hotel (Yuefanshan Avenue), the side street across Kangle Road from the Sunshine Mall, and streets paralleling Kangle Road on either sides (Kangle Cross Street just north of Shan Hu Road; Xing Long Road).

Splurge
Most high end hotels have pricey Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and general-international restaurants, quality varies but they are usually pretty good. Outside of the hotels:

Drink
A popular drinking experience in Houjie is finding a table at an outdoor restaurant and whiling away the hours on 600 ml bottles of Tsing Tao (¥5-7).

There are western bars, including the hotel lobby bars. The

Open containers and consumption in public areas is acceptable.

Sleep
Budget hotels have fair room prices posted usually. High end hotels post room rates that are significantly higher (up to 3 times) than a corporate rate. If you are working with a company in DongGuan or elsewhere in China, it is a good idea to see if they can get a corporate rate with the hotel.

Budget and Midrange hotels often will not have English speaking staff, but with a basic understanding of Mandarin or a game of charades, you should be able to work out your arrangements.

Budget
Hotels along Kangle South Street charge in the range of ¥130-170. Expect clean, but very basic private rooms.

Splurge
Hotels in this range generally compare to a three- or four-star hotel in a Western country. All include buffet breakfast with Western and Asian fare options. An Italian, Japanese, and Chinese restaurant inside the hotel is pretty standard.



Stay safe
Houjie is for the most part safe, given some precautions. Due to the sheer numbers of people in most areas, violent crime is uncommon although it's best to stay to the beaten path. Instances of bag snatching from motorcycles are known of, so it is good to ensure you're well connected to any bags if you're carrying one. Less populated areas, such as Tingshan in the east, are best avoided at night.

Instances of overcharging is only common when bargaining is part of the exchange, but there isn't a hard and fast rule to what's negotiable. Food and drink, posted prices for services like massage, public transport, and store items with a posted price generally aren't negotiated (at least, not by more than 10-15%). Taxis and shops without posted prices may or may not be charging double or more.

Go next
Weekends in Houjie can be a bit slow for expats.


 * Dongguan has a far more active nightlife than Houjie. Dongguan Bar Street (东莞酒吧街, Mandarin: Dongguanjiubajie) in Dongcheng has a large number of busy bars and clubs and is a good destination Friday and Saturday nights, or any night of the week. Dongguan can be reached by a taxi for about ¥90, or by a number of public buses on Guantai road.
 * Hong Kong caters more to the Western lifestyle. There are a lot of tourist sites, Western-style bar streets packed with expats, and a myriad of food ethnicities. To get to Hong Kong International Airport, the same direct vans return from your hotel - hotels are able to book a ticket for you. ¥230, 2½-3 hr. See Get in. For downtown/Kowloon, take the bus to Shenzhen Luohu. Walk across the border, and take the MTR the rest of the way (~HK$46).
 * Macau is an old Portuguese colony. Here one can see interesting European architecture, as well as a plethora of casinos and fancy hotels. It is considered Las Vegas of the East. To get to Macau, take the bus Zhuhai Gongbei. The border is a short walk from the bus station. On the Macau side there is an underground bus station. Public buses run to the area with casinos, hotels, and the old town. A bus to The Grand Lisboa will get you into walking distance of everything.
 * Shenzhen has some tourist sites, as well as various places to shop.
 * Zhuhai at the border with Macau, has a walking street with outdoor bar stalls, ample shopping, as well as a hot springs facility a ways out of town.
 * Guangzhou is a sprawling city 1½ hours north.

At the bus station adjacent to the big square, coach buses run to Shenzhen Luohu (1-1½ hr, ¥45), Zhuhai Gongbei (2 hr, ¥60), and Guangzhou (1-1½ hr, ¥45). A short taxi ride to the Humen train station will also connect you to the high-speed train to Shenzhen North, and Guangzhou.