The Songshan Lake High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is an example of this transformation. It is a huge development of multiple industrial parks, concentrating on financial services, cultural development and e-commerce, industries with higher added value and greater sustainability for development.

One project in the zone is a cloud computing center, supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "We have built an open [IT] platform. Although the development of the IT industry is difficult to predict, we hope that the Songshan industrial zone can produce a company like Baidu, Taobao or [the instant messenging service] Webchat in the future." Ji Tongkai, from the centre said.

The factory of Crystal Group in Dongguan [By Chris Parker/China.org.cn]

Crystal Group, in another part of the city, is also in the midst of a transformation. The company was founded in 1970 as a simple sweater factory employing just 70 people. Today, it employs more than 11,000 people in Dongguan, but the products they are making are very different from before.

"We have concentrated on increasing the value of our products, and focussing less on volume," said Antony Lam, the company's financial director. "Before 2008, we used to produce mainly plain T-shirts and sweaters, but in the last four years we have introduced more value-added processes and complex designs, this has helped us to remain profitable and competitive."

The company has production of its basic products overseas, to countries including Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia, while its Dongguan facilities are working on high-end products and design.

"We are no longer just a processing industry. We have partnered with our clients to advise them about design. We have a dedicated design team."

The economy of Dongguan is still developing rapidly, and signs of new wealth are visible throughout the city, however whether it can make a success of developing from a manufacturer of low end goods to a scientific and high-tech leader is not yet clear. The transformation will have to continue, if the city is to continue to grow.