Most consumer products come primarily from the Pearl River Delta, the ‘factory

of the world’ with the largest industrial region on earth. The delta has attracted

millions of poor rural residents to settle in factory towns in hopes for a better

life. Factory Towns of South China opens a window on these walled compounds,

exposing the gritty establishments, crowded dormitories and monotonous labor

carried out by workers. Some function as self-contained cities, with their own fire

brigade, hospital, bank, TV station and as many as half a million workers living

within the compounds. Other factories are scattered in larger villages to mask their

existence and evade governmental crackdowns on the production of fake consumer goods and illegal casino machines.

Organized in part as a travel guide — with many colorful maps, diagrams, photos

and drawings — this book profiles a wide range of factory towns distributed

throughout South China, which manufacture products as diverse as cars, ships,

electronics, video game machines, clothing, ceramics, toys, and common foods.

Essays from a wide array of experts provide deeper understanding on the topic,

from the disciplines of urban planning, geography, architecture, sociology, and

anthropology.