China sourcing map
Where China makes building materials,
and where they ship from.
Tiles, stone, lighting, sanitary ware, furniture and hardware each come from their own towns, often in different provinces. This map lists the main manufacturing clusters, what each one is known for and the container ports that serve them, with a source for every fact.
In short
Where in China are building materials made?
Each material has its own cluster: tiles around Foshan in Guangdong, stone in Xiamen and Shuitou in Fujian, lighting in Guzhen, sanitary ceramics in Chaozhou, faucets in Kaiping and Nan'an, furniture in Shunde and Dongguan, plywood in Linyi, office chairs in Anji and hardware in Yongkang. Goods usually ship from the nearest major container port.
Manufacturing clusters, province by province
A cluster is a town or district where many factories make the same family of products, with their suppliers, showrooms and fairs close by. The 32 clusters below are grouped by province, from Guangdong, where our team is based, to the north and the west. Each line says what the place is known for and one fact worth knowing before you buy there.
Guangdong
The Pearl River Delta clusters around Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Dongguan, plus Chaozhou in the east and Yunfu and Zhaoqing in the west. Their main ports are Nansha, Shekou and Yantian.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Foshan, Chancheng district, Nanzhuang town | Porcelain and ceramic tiles, tile showrooms and trade | Nanzhuang is known as China's No. 1 town for building ceramics. Since 2007 it has cut kiln capacity and moved towards design, headquarters and trade fairs. Chancheng hosted the 41st China International Ceramic and Bathroom Fair in 2024. |
| Foshan, Shunde district, Lecong and Longjiang towns | Furniture: trade malls in Lecong, manufacturing in Longjiang | Guangdong's official media call Lecong "China's Furniture Trade Capital" and Longjiang a leading hub of China's furniture industry. |
| Foshan, Nanhai district, Dali town | Aluminium profiles | In 2003 the China Construction Metal Structure Association named Dali China's No. 1 aluminium town. |
| Zhongshan, Guzhen town | Lighting and light fittings | Known as China's lighting capital, and home of the China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair. |
| Chaozhou | Sanitary ceramics, smart toilets, daily-use ceramics | Known as "China's Porcelain Capital", with more than a thousand years of ceramic making. Smart sanitary ware has become one of its fast-growing industries. |
| Jiangmen, Kaiping, Shuikou town | Faucets, plumbing and bathroom hardware | The Kaiping government calls the city one of China's three major plumbing and sanitary ware production bases. The industry started in Shuikou in 1958. |
| Dongguan, Houjie town | Furniture showrooms and the furniture fair | Known for its 5-kilometre "Furniture Avenue", and the venue of the International Famous Furniture Fair (Dongguan). |
| Yunfu | Stone processing | Known as "China's Stone Capital", with a stone industry more than 400 years old. |
| Zhaoqing, Gaoyao district, Jinli town | Building hardware: door closers, automatic sliding doors | Guangdong's official media call Jinli "the hometown of small hardware". |
Fujian
Stone around Xiamen and Quanzhou, along with faucets, plumbing fittings and building ceramics. The main port is Xiamen.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Xiamen | Stone trade; faucets, sanitary ware and kitchen products | Home of the Xiamen International Stone Fair, which the city's commerce bureau describes as the world's largest of its kind. The same bureau presents Xiamen as a manufacturing hub for sanitary ware and kitchen products. |
| Nan'an, Shuitou town (Quanzhou) | Marble and granite processing and trade | Xinhua notes that Shuitou quarries neither marble nor granite: the stone is brought in, then cut and traded there. The town hosts the China Shuitou International Stone Fair. |
| Hui'an (Quanzhou) | Granite carving, architectural stone components, garden sculpture | The World Crafts Council named Hui'an "World Stone Carving Capital" in 2015. Hui'an stone carving is on China's national intangible cultural heritage list. |
| Nan'an, Luncang town (Quanzhou) | Faucets, valves and plumbing fittings | Luncang is home to the market known as "China Plumbing City". |
| Jinjiang, Cizao and Neikeng towns (Quanzhou) | Building ceramics and tiles | The Jinjiang government says its building ceramics output has ranked among China's top three for years. |
Jiangxi
An inland province with porcelain, solid wood furniture and a building ceramics base. Goods reach the coast by rail or river, towards Xiamen or Shanghai.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Jingdezhen | Porcelain: art, tableware and decorative pieces | Its handicraft porcelain industry sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2026. A source of decorative porcelain rather than building ceramics. |
| Ganzhou, Nankang district | Solid wood furniture | China Daily calls Nankang China's "capital of solid wood furniture" and reports furniture makers there using China-Europe freight trains. |
| Yichun, Gao'an | Building ceramics, glazed tiles | China Daily describes Gao'an's base as Jiangxi's only specialised building ceramics base, known as a "kingdom of glazed tiles". |
Zhejiang
Seating, hardware, doors, wood flooring, fabrics and plumbing valves, close to the ports of Ningbo-Zhoushan and Shanghai.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Huzhou, Anji county | Office and swivel chairs | Xinhua says Anji is known as China's "hometown of chairs", and that the county produced China's first five-wheel swivel chair. |
| Jinhua, Yongkang | Hardware and doors | Renowned as the "Door Capital of China", it hosts the China Hardware Fair, held since 1996, and the China (Yongkang) International Door Industry Expo. |
| Huzhou, Nanxun district | Solid wood flooring, increasingly home furnishings | China Daily reports Nanxun is known as the "Capital of Wood Tiles" for its natural wood flooring, and that over half of its flooring firms have moved into home furnishings. |
| Shaoxing, Keqiao district | Fabrics and home textiles | Home of China Textile City, founded in 1988. The Keqiao Textile Expo lists home textiles among its main exhibits. |
| Taizhou, Yuhuan | Copper valves, plumbing hardware, pipes and fittings | In 2003 the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals named Yuhuan an export base for hardware and building materials (valves). |
Jiangsu
Flooring and lighting around Changzhou, and plywood in the north of the province.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Changzhou, Henglin town | Laminate and SPC flooring | Recognised as "China Laminate Flooring Capital" in December 2022. The town government co-organises the China (Henglin) International Floor Expo. |
| Changzhou, Zouqu town | Lighting | Named "China Lighting City" by the China Association of Lighting Industry in 2007. |
| Xuzhou, Pizhou | Plywood and wood panels | The Jiangsu intellectual property administration calls Pizhou one of China's four major plywood production bases. |
Shandong
Wood panels, building ceramics, granite and marble. The main port is Qingdao.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Linyi | Plywood and wood-based panels | A report published by China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration describes Linyi as the country's largest plywood production and export base. |
| Zibo, Zichuan district | Building ceramics and tiles | The city's industry bureau reports a building ceramics cluster in Zichuan district and the Zibo Economic Development Zone. |
| Yantai, Laizhou | Granite and marble | Known as the "Capital of Stone", it hosts the Laizhou International Stone Material Fair. The Yantai industry bureau calls it one of China's largest granite and marble producing areas. |
Hebei
Flat glass, metal and glass furniture, sanitary ceramics and steel, served by the port of Tianjin.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Xingtai, Shahe | Flat glass | Xinhua calls Shahe the "City of Glass". |
| Langfang, Bazhou, Shengfang town | Metal and glass furniture | In 2005 the China National Furniture Association named Shengfang "China Metal-Glass Furniture Industry Base". |
| Tangshan | Sanitary ceramics; steel | Titled "China's Northern Porcelain Capital" in 2003 by the China National Light Industry Council and the China Ceramic Industrial Association. Xinhua notes China's first piece of sanitary porcelain was made there, and China Daily describes the city as an industrial hub built on steel. |
Sichuan
Ceramic tiles and sintered stone in western China, far inland in the Yangtze River basin.
| Cluster | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Leshan, Jiajiang county | Ceramic tiles and sintered stone slabs | Named "China (Western) Sintered Stone Production Base" by the China Building Ceramics and Sanitaryware Association in 2021. |
Which city for which material
The same map read the other way round: start from the material on your finish schedule and find the towns that specialise in it. Most categories have more than one cluster, sometimes in different provinces, so the right factory depends on the specification, the quantity and the port the goods will leave from.
| Material | Where it is made | Province |
|---|---|---|
| Porcelain and ceramic tiles | Foshan (Nanzhuang), Jinjiang, Gao'an, Zibo, Jiajiang | Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Sichuan |
| Sanitary ceramics | Chaozhou, Tangshan | Guangdong, Hebei |
| Faucets, valves, plumbing fittings | Kaiping (Shuikou), Nan'an (Luncang), Xiamen, Yuhuan | Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang |
| Marble and granite | Yunfu, Xiamen, Nan'an (Shuitou), Laizhou | Guangdong, Fujian, Shandong |
| Stone carving | Hui'an | Fujian |
| Lighting | Zhongshan (Guzhen), Changzhou (Zouqu) | Guangdong, Jiangsu |
| Furniture | Foshan (Lecong, Longjiang), Dongguan (Houjie), Ganzhou (Nankang), Bazhou (Shengfang) | Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hebei |
| Office chairs | Anji | Zhejiang |
| Hardware and doors | Yongkang, Zhaoqing (Jinli) | Zhejiang, Guangdong |
| Aluminium profiles | Foshan (Dali) | Guangdong |
| Plywood and wood panels | Linyi, Pizhou | Shandong, Jiangsu |
| Wood flooring | Huzhou (Nanxun) for solid wood, Changzhou (Henglin) for laminate and SPC | Zhejiang, Jiangsu |
| Flat glass | Shahe | Hebei |
| Fabrics and home textiles | Shaoxing (Keqiao) | Zhejiang |
| Decorative porcelain | Jingdezhen | Jiangxi |
| Steel | Tangshan | Hebei |
The ports these clusters ship from
Each cluster leans on the container port nearest to it. In the Pearl River Delta, ocean vessels cannot enter the river ports, so containers from towns such as Foshan travel by barge to Shekou or Nansha, or are transhipped in Hong Kong. Further north, Xiamen, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shanghai, Qingdao and Tianjin serve their own provinces.
| Port | Region served | Clusters on this map |
|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou Nansha | On the Pearl River estuary. Its terminal operator puts Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Jiangmen within 100 km by road, with a shuttle barge network to feeder ports across the delta. | Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Dongguan |
| Shenzhen Yantian | Eastern Shenzhen. Natural deep-water berths, and a gateway for South China's foreign trade. | Pearl River Delta clusters |
| Shenzhen Shekou | Western Shenzhen, on the eastern shore of the Pearl River estuary. Under a combined port service, containers from Beijiao in Foshan are barged to Shenzhen's western terminals for ocean vessels. | Foshan and other river-port cargo |
| Foshan river ports | A transit hub between rivers and sea for domestic and international trade. Eleven Foshan terminals are connected with Shekou and Nansha. | Foshan's tile, furniture and aluminium towns |
| Hong Kong (Kwai Tsing) | A transhipment port for the region. Its River Trade Terminal consolidates cargo shipped between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta ports. | Transhipment for Pearl River Delta cargo |
| Xiamen | Fujian. A sea-rail line opened in 2026 serves inland provinces such as Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei. | Xiamen, Nan'an, Hui'an, Jinjiang; inland Jiangxi |
| Ningbo-Zhoushan | Zhejiang. Backed by the Yangtze River Delta economy, with deep-water berths and sea-rail links. | Anji, Yongkang, Nanxun, Keqiao, Yuhuan |
| Shanghai | Container terminals at Yangshan, Waigaoqiao and Wusong. Its hinterland includes the Yangtze River basin and the inland rivers of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui. | Changzhou, Pizhou, northern Zhejiang; inland Jiangxi and Sichuan |
| Qingdao | Shandong. A key port for traders in inland cities, especially along the Yellow River. | Linyi, Zibo, Laizhou |
| Tianjin | On the Bohai Sea, a major shipping point in north China, with sea-rail trains to Beijing and to Xingtai in Hebei. | Shahe, Shengfang, Tangshan |
The port also decides the paperwork and the freight: a container leaving Qingdao and one leaving Nansha follow different routes and transit times. We give transit time per route, once the destination is known, rather than as a general figure.
How NovaLink works across these clusters
Our head office and team are in Foshan, Guangdong. We source across China, from wherever the right factory for the product is, and every order follows the same sequence, described step by step on the service page and week by week on how a project runs.
- 01We choose the factory, negotiate directly in Mandarin and agree the technical specification in writing before a price is fixed.
- 02You approve physical samples before production starts, shipped to you or reviewed with us in Foshan.
- 03Quality control runs before production, during production and before packing, with a photographic report per supplier.
- 04Orders that combine several suppliers are consolidated in our Foshan warehouse; depending on the factory, goods can also ship from the port nearest to it (Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen, Tianjin).
- 05Cartons are labelled by room and installation sequence, you receive one consolidated Proforma rather than a quote from every supplier, and the export documents match the signed Proforma.
- 06Shipments leave from Guangzhou Nansha, Shenzhen (Yantian or Shekou) or Foshan's river ports with transhipment via Hong Kong or Shenzhen, and from Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen or Tianjin depending on where the factory is.
Questions
Around Foshan in Guangdong, where the town of Nanzhuang is known as China's No. 1 town for building ceramics, and in other clusters such as Jinjiang in Fujian, Gao'an in Jiangxi, Zibo in Shandong and Jiajiang in Sichuan. Nanzhuang has cut kiln capacity since 2007, so a range shown in Foshan may be fired elsewhere: ask where.
In Fujian, at Xiamen, home of the Xiamen International Stone Fair, and at Shuitou in Nan'an; in Yunfu in Guangdong, known as China's Stone Capital; and in Laizhou in Shandong, a granite and marble producing area. Shuitou quarries no stone of its own: blocks are brought in, then cut and traded there.
In Guzhen, a town of Zhongshan in Guangdong known as China's lighting capital, which hosts the China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair. Zouqu, in Changzhou, Jiangsu, was named China Lighting City by the China Association of Lighting Industry in 2007.
Sanitary ceramics come from Chaozhou in Guangdong and Tangshan in Hebei. Faucets and plumbing fittings come from Kaiping (Shuikou town) in Guangdong, from Nan'an (Luncang town) and Xiamen in Fujian, and from Yuhuan in Zhejiang, which specialises in plumbing valves.
Ocean vessels cannot enter the river ports of the Pearl River estuary, so Foshan's river terminals send containers by barge to Shekou in Shenzhen and Nansha in Guangzhou. NovaLink ships from Nansha, Yantian or Shekou, or from Foshan's river ports with transhipment via Hong Kong or Shenzhen.
No. Our head office and team are in Foshan, Guangdong, and we source across China, from wherever the right factory for the product is, whether it is in Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shandong or another province.
Orders that combine several suppliers are consolidated in our Foshan warehouse and checked line by line before packing. Depending on the factory, goods can also ship from the port nearest to it: Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen or Tianjin.
Not always. Nanzhuang, Foshan's tile town, has cut kiln capacity since 2007 and moved towards design, headquarters and trade fairs, so a range shown there may be made in another province. Ask where each product is made before you order.
Sources
- People's Weekly: Nanzhuang, China's No. 1 town for building ceramics (2022)
- GDToday: 41st China International Ceramic and Bathroom Fair in Chancheng (2024)
- GDToday: Lecong, China's furniture trade capital (2025)
- GDToday: Longjiang and Foshan furniture (2025)
- People's Daily Online: Dali, aluminium profiles (2013)
- China Daily: Guzhen lighting fair (2023)
- GDToday: Chaozhou ceramics and smart sanitary ware (2026)
- Kaiping government: plumbing and sanitary ware in Shuikou (2024)
- GDToday: International Famous Furniture Fair in Houjie (2024)
- GDToday: Houjie's Furniture Avenue (2023)
- GDToday: Yunfu, China's Stone Capital (2024)
- GDToday: Jinli, the hometown of small hardware (2024)
- GDToday: Gaoyao hardware at the Canton Fair (2026)
- Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce: Xiamen Stone Fair (2025)
- Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce: sanitary ware and kitchen products (2025)
- Xinhua: Shuitou, the stone town that quarries no stone (2024)
- Xinhua: China Shuitou International Stone Fair (2018)
- Hui'an county government: World Stone Carving Capital
- China Daily: Hui'an stone carving, national intangible heritage (2025)
- Quanzhou government: Nan'an and China Plumbing City (2025)
- Jinjiang government: building ceramics in Cizao and Neikeng (2024)
- China Daily: Jingdezhen porcelain sites on the World Heritage List (2026)
- China Daily: Nankang furniture and China-Europe freight trains (2025)
- China Daily (Chinese edition): Gao'an building ceramics base (2020)
- Xinhua: Anji, China's hometown of chairs (2025)
- Jinhua government: Yongkang, Door Capital of China (2024)
- Jinhua government: 30th China Hardware Fair in Yongkang (2025)
- China Daily: Nanxun wood flooring (2024)
- Shaoxing government: China Textile City in Keqiao (2025)
- Shaoxing government: 27th Keqiao Textile Expo (2025)
- Taizhou Bureau of Commerce: Yuhuan plumbing and valves (2023)
- Changzhou Bureau of Commerce: Henglin laminate flooring (2025)
- Changzhou government: China (Henglin) International Floor Expo
- Changzhou government: Zouqu, China Lighting City (2010)
- Jiangsu Intellectual Property Administration: Pizhou plywood (2024)
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration: Linyi plywood (2026)
- Zibo Bureau of Industry and Information Technology: building ceramics (2025)
- China Daily: Laizhou International Stone Material Fair (2024)
- Yantai Bureau of Industry and Information Technology: Laizhou granite and marble (2023)
- Xinhua: Shahe, the City of Glass (2017)
- China National Furniture Association: Shengfang metal and glass furniture (2014)
- Tangshan government: China's Northern Porcelain Capital (2021)
- Xinhua: Tangshan ceramics (2024)
- China Daily: Tangshan's steel industry (2024)
- China Daily (Chinese edition): Jiajiang sintered stone base (2021)
- APM Terminals: the Nansha terminal and its barge network
- Hutchison Port Holdings Trust: Yantian, annual report 2025
- Shenzhen government: Shekou Port (2025)
- Shenzhen Daily: Shekou and Beijiao combined port service (2021)
- China Daily: Foshan river port (2024)
- Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board: the port and the River Trade Terminal
- Hong Kong Marine Department: port fact sheet
- Shanghai International Port Group: location and hinterland
- Shanghai International Port Group: container terminals
- People's Daily: Ningbo-Zhoushan Port (2023)
- China Daily: Qingdao Port and inland cities (2022)
- Fujian government: Xiamen automated sea-rail line (2026)
- Xinhua: Tianjin Port (2024)
Materials from more than one cluster?
Send the floor plans and the finish schedule. We find the right factory for each material, wherever it is in China, and plan the port and the shipment around your project.