Planning a sourcing trip to Foshan,
so the days go to decisions.

When to go

Foshan is busiest around the Canton Fair and Chinese New Year. The Canton Fair is held in Guangzhou every spring and autumn, in three phases; in autumn 2026 they run from 15 October to 4 November, and the second phase covers building and furniture. In those weeks hotels are tighter, showrooms are fuller and factory time is harder to book.

Foshan also has its own ceramics fair in Chancheng district: the 41st China International Ceramic & Bathroom Fair opened there on 18 October 2024. The fairs show new collections, which is the case for going then. If you are selecting for a project rather than scouting trends, weeks away from the fairs and from Chinese New Year are easier to arrange and calmer to run.

Airports and getting around

Most international visitors land at Guangzhou Baiyun, the main gateway for the region. Foshan also has its own airport, Foshan Shadi. The city spreads over several districts and the furniture and ceramics areas are not next to each other, so the order of the visits matters as much as the list. Group the days by district rather than by appointment.

Where the furniture and the ceramics are

Furniture is concentrated in Shunde district. Guangdong's official media describe Lecong as China's furniture trade capital and the world's largest specialised furniture market, with more than 20,000 visitors a day, and neighbouring Longjiang as a leading centre of the furniture industry.

Ceramics are concentrated in Chancheng district, around China Ceramics City and the town of Nanzhuang. A brand displayed there is not always made there, as our porcelain tiles guide explains: the showroom is where you choose, the factory is where you check. The same goes for sintered stone slabs.

How many days

One to three days, depending on scope. A single apartment rarely needs two full days; a villa or a hotel usually needs three, especially when a factory visit is warranted for a category made to your drawing. Organise the visit the way a specification reads, category by category: surfaces and stone, then sanitary ware and joinery, then furniture and lighting, with a sample review at the end of each day.

What to bring

• Drawings: floor plans and elevations with dimensions, even as sketches.
• A finish schedule: every surface, room by room, with the finish you have in mind or a reference photograph.
• Quantities: a bill of quantities, or at least the areas and counts per room type.
• Your local requirements: the fire, slip and electrical rules of the destination country, and any brand standard.
• Physical references: a sample or a photograph of anything you want matched.
• Target dates: when the site needs each category, so lead times can be checked against the programme.

Without quantities, a factory can show you a product but cannot confirm stock, price or lead time.

Visa and the business invitation letter

Check first whether you need a visa at all. China's unilateral visa-free policy, extended until 31 December 2026, lets ordinary passport holders from more than 40 countries, including France, Belgium and Switzerland, enter for business for up to 30 days. The list changes, so confirm it with the Chinese embassy or consulate before you book.

Otherwise, a business trip calls for a business (M) visa supported by an invitation letter from the company you visit. Chinese consulates ask the letter to give your details (name, gender, date of birth, passport number), the visit (purpose, arrival and departure dates, places, your relationship with the inviting company, who pays) and the inviting company's name, address and telephone number.

NovaLink provides a formal business invitation letter to support your application. An invitation letter supports a visa application. It does not guarantee approval, which remains the decision of the Chinese consular authorities. Start early, because processing times vary by country.

How to compare factories

• Compare on the same written specification: size, thickness, material, finish, hardware and packing. Otherwise the cheaper quotation is often a different product.
• See the production line, not only the showroom. Ask where the product is made, and check that the factory makes it rather than trades it.
• Ask for the business licence and for the test reports your market requires, and check that the company names on them match.
• Check capacity against your quantities and dates, for the whole order and not only the sample.
• Leave with a numbered sample or a photographed reference for each selection, so the decision is on record.

After the trip

The visit ends with a material list; the project starts with it. Consolidate the selections into one list with references, finishes and quantities, approve physical samples in writing, and turn the list into a written scope and a Proforma Invoice. Production, inspection, consolidation and shipping follow from there, as described in how a project runs.