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The Canton Fair is the oldest and largest trade fair in China. If you want to meet with new suppliers or 3rd party service providers like logistics or warehouse companies, the Canton Fair is a great way to connect in a really short time.

When's It Happening? Save the date!

The Canton Fair happens twice a year, split into three phases each time:

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Spring Session (typically mid-April to early May)

Phase 1: Electronics, household electrical appliances, machinery, lighting equipment, hardware and tools, vehicles and spare parts, building materials, chemical products.
Phase 2: Consumer products, decorations goods, gifts.
Phase 3: Textiles & garments, shoes, office supplies, cases & bags, recreation products, medicines, medical devices and health products

Autumn Session (typically mid-October to early November)

Same phase structure as the Spring session

Pro tip: Each phase lasts about 5 days, so plan your visit based on the products you're interested in. If you're sourcing products from different phases, you might want to stay longer or make multiple trips. Check the official Canton Fair website for the exact dates of the upcoming session - they usually announce them a few months in advance.

Why Canton Fair?

Let's be real - if you're in the eCommerce or retail game, China is pretty much the manufacturing powerhouse you can't ignore. Not only are they crushing it with competitive prices, but they're also innovating like crazy. These days, you'll find products in Canton Fair that you literally can't source anywhere else in the world.

Canton: Location, Hotels, and Local Cuisine

Where is Canton?

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Canton or Guangzhou (广州市) in Chinese is located in the Guangdong province (广东) in southeast China. People in Canton speak Cantonese but everybody can speak Mandarin. The city is close to Shenzhen (深圳市) which is the Tech hub of China, similar to Silicon Valley in the US. If you go further to the South, you will find Hong Kong.

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Famous Cantonese people you might know (if you include Hong Kong) are Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, John Woo.

During the Canton Fair, airfare to Foshan's nearest airport (FUO) can be quite expensive. For a more budget-friendly alternative, consider flying to Hong Kong and taking the train to Foshan.

What to eat in Canton?

Cantonese food is famous worldwide for its fresh ingredients, delicate flavors, and cooking techniques that bring out the natural taste of ingredients. If you are not familiar with it, it might be difficult to know what is Cantonese vs what is Chinese. Here is your safe choice when you want something local:

Dim Sum (点心): large range of steamed options like steamed buns, dumplings, siumai… Those are generally paired with tea.
Rice noodle roll
Sui mei: Roasted duck, goose, pig, pigeon
Steamed chicken (白切鸡): Free-range chicken steamed with ginger and scallion
Soup: spare ribs or winter melon soup
Seafood: Lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, abalone, fish

In most of the restaurants in Canton, you will get either some hot tea or an insulated water bottle with boiled water and a salad bowl. This is not meant for you to drink but rather to sanitize your bowl, spoon and chopsticks.

Preparing Your Trip

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Where to stay in Canton?

Here's a pro tip that will save you some headaches: book a hotel, not an Airbnb. Why? Hotels handle that mandatory police registration for you.

When it comes to accommodation in Canton during the fair, location is everything. Ideally, you want to book a hotel along Metro Line 8, which directly connects to Xingangdong (新港东) metro station - the main entrance of the Canton Fair complex. The further you stay, the lower the hotel rate but the longer the commute. You might want not to stay too far away, especially because you might be tired after walking the whole day. Metro is inexpensive and come every couple of minutes so don’t worry about that and it is faster than getting a cab.

Checklist before your trip

Make sure you’ve taken care of the essentials—these often-overlooked details can make or break your trip.

Secure your visa well in advance because last-minute processing can be a nightmare.
Book your flight tickets early, especially during Canton Fair season when demand soars.
Don’t forget your Buyer Badge—if you don’t, you will still be able to enter the Canton fair but you will need to do it on your phone in the queue and probably waste a few hours before it is approved.
Bring your Business Cards. People in China still use that. Also I recommend to take a pen and write on the back of each business card the topic of the conversation you had with this person. This will help you to sort out your contact faster and follow up by email/on weChat after the fair.
Get a VPN (more on that later)
Take a backpack or a small suitcase? A briefcase might not be enough to carry all suppliers' catalogs.
Get a power bank: don’t forget that in China, you do everything with your phone. If you need it to add business contact, pay anything or take the metro. One thing you don’t want is to run out of battery.
Buy a converter: Most hotels have double kind of sockets: A (similar to the US), I (most common in Australia and New Zealand…) and C (optional, similar to the plug in Europe) but this is not granted. You might want to buy an adapter before your trip.

Download those App BEFORE your trip

China's internet operates behind what's known as the Great Firewall, blocking access to many familiar websites and apps. You won't be able to access:

Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
Communication tools (WhatsApp, Skype)
Google services (Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive)
Professional networks (LinkedIn)
Video platforms (YouTube)
News websites (many international news sites)

You can either go for a Western option like NordVPN or use a Chinese alternative like Pandafan.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is essential to access these services during your stay.

The most famous Western VPN for China is NordVPN. It is quite simple to use but not as stable as Chinese alternatives. Here is our affiliate link if you want to download it. NordVPN Affiliate Link.

Full disclosure: If you sign up for NordVPN using our link, we earn a small commission – doesn't cost you anything extra, but helps keep our blog running!

The other option is to download a Chinese alternative like Pandafan but you might be worried about who can access your data so just get NordVPN so that we can get some affiliate commission :).

Don’t forget to install and test your VPN BEFORE arriving in China - you won't be able to download VPN apps once you're there.

Making the Most of Your Canton Fair Visit: From Dress Code to Finding the Right Supplier

Dressing for Success (and Comfort!)

Let's talk about what to wear. Forget the formal suit - business casual is what you are looking for. In other words, just dress as you would if you go to the office. No need to suit up. In terms of shoes, you want to go with something really really really comfy. The fair is 12 million sq ft or 1 million m². Expect to walk 30,000 steps a day. Just take your running shoes.

Your Fair Day Game Plan

Want to make the most of your time? Here's what you need:

Take your passport: you will need it to register on the first day and get your badge. Once you have your badge, you won’t need your passport anymore.
A current floor plan: the fair is HUGE and the map changes every week. You have 4 sections: A, B, C, D. Get a floor plan on the first day and mark each section you want to visit. You won’t have time to visit everything so make sure you prioritize what you are interested the most.
Go to talk to people and start networking (more on this next)

The Art of Supplier Conversations

Now, let's talk about the fun part - meeting suppliers! Here are some conversation starters that'll help you spot to break the ice and start engaging like a pro:

"Do you work with both B2B and B2C customers?"
"Which markets are you currently selling to?"
"What's your experience with private labeling?"
"Can you tell me about some of your main clients?"
"What's your typical MOQ and price range?" (but save the negotiation for later)

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Surviving (and Thriving!) in China

Ok now that we went through making the most out of the Canton fair, let’s talk about the basics you need to know to survive and enjoy your time in China.

WeChat: Your All-in-One Communication Tool

WeChat isn't just a messaging app - it's your lifeline in China. Beyond staying connected with friends, family, and colleagues, it's essential when your VPN fails. One of its handiest features is the built-in image translator. Just go to Discover > Scan > Translate and point your camera at any Chinese text, including restaurant menus!

Setting up payments is straightforward:

Go to Me > Pay and Services > Wallet > Bank Cards
Add your foreign credit card
To pay, either scan a merchant's QR code (via Discover > Scan) or have them scan yours (find it under Me > Pay & Services > Money)

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Alipay: Your Digital Wallet

Getting started with Alipay:

Navigate to Account > Bank Cards
Click "Add more bank" to link your credit card

Once set up, you can:

Pay merchants by scanning their QR code or letting them scan yours (Pay/Receive)
Use public transport by generating a QR code in the Transport section (make sure you've selected the right city!)
Book rides through Didi (China's Uber)

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You can pay anything up to 200 RMB without any fees other than your credit card.

Pro tip: Alipay's translation feature works across all Chinese apps, making it invaluable for navigating local services.

Need more specific advice about preparing for the Canton Fair? Drop us a line at Growth Scalers - we've helped businesses navigate their sourcing journey, and we'd love to help you too!