The Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in southeastern China is one of the most polluted industrial and metropolitan areas in the world. We report single‐particle measurements of the refractory black carbon (rBC) component in ambient aerosol in the region, and we interpret the results to improve understanding of the importance of rBC for radiative forcing in this region and others like it. A Single‐Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) provided rBC mass loadings, size distributions, and mixing state information. Average rBC loadings are approximately an order of magnitude higher than those measured near Houston, Texas, a major U.S. metropolitan area. The rBC in the PRD is also more often internally mixed with nonrefractory materials than is rBC around Houston. Localized atmospheric heating from rBC solar absorption reached an average rate of 0.4 K d−1. A one‐dimensional discrete ordinates radiative transfer (DISORT) model coupled with the average measured rBC is used to illustrate the potential local contribution of rBC mass and associated scattering aerosol to the radiative forcing. Solar energy deposition rates in the atmosphere at the sampling site due to rBC absorption are estimated to have an average value of 17 W m−2 and be largest in the first 1 km above the ground. These results indicate that rBC has significant potential to influence local meteorology and climate parameters in the PRD region. Key Points We performed black carbon measurements in China A single‐particle soot photometer was used to determine black carbon properties Solar energy deposition rates due to the black carbon were estimated