The ancient town of Nantou

The Dongguan Thousand Households City, Nantou City, was located in Nanshan District. It was irregularly shaped, like a quadrilateral, and had an area of about 70,000 square meters. The city was built in the 27th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty (1394). Nantou was located on a strategic sea route and was an important communications hub. It served as the coastal defense for Guangdong province and a strategic city. It was not only the advanced guard for the Humen, a narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta, but also a gatekeeper for Guangzhou, the capital of the province. In the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty (1573), Xin’an County was built, and the Dongguan Thousand Households City became a county seat. It had jurisdiction over a large area, including most of the districts of Shenzhen, all of Hong Kong, and a small part of modern-day Dongguan.