Business trip to China: Canton Fair, factory cities and markets

The Canton Fair: China's largest trade fair

Held in Guangzhou twice a year since 1957, it brings together about 26,000 exhibiting companies and factories and nearly 200,000 buyers from more than 200 countries. The autumn 2026 session runs in three phases, each with its own products:

• Phase 1, 15–19 October: electronics, machinery and vehicles.
• Phase 2, 23–27 October: home, household goods and building materials.
• Phase 3, 31 October–4 November: clothing, food and health products.
• The spring session usually runs from 15 April to 5 May; the 2027 dates have not been officially announced yet.

Register your buyer badge on the fair's official website before you travel, with your passport, a photo and your business card: it is free when you pre-register. The fair is in Pazhou on metro line 8, and the hotels around it fill up during the fair.

Hotels in Guangzhou near the Canton Fair →

Factory cities: where to go for what you need

• Guangzhou: wholesale markets for everything, from clothing and bags to cosmetics, and the Canton Fair.
• Shenzhen: electronics, phones and parts at the Huaqiangbei market, about half an hour by high-speed train from Guangzhou.
• Dongguan: one of China's biggest factory cities, between Guangzhou and Shenzhen, for electronics, furniture, shoes and toys.
• Foshan: next door to Guangzhou, home to Lecong, China's largest furniture market, and to ceramic and tile factories.
• Yiwu: the world's largest wholesale market for small goods (toys, gifts, accessories and homeware), with the Yiwu International Commodities Fair from 21 to 24 October 2026.
• Shanghai and Ningbo: the business hub and one of the world's largest ports, with the China International Import Expo in Shanghai from 5 to 10 November 2026.

Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and the wholesale markets →

Beijing's international trade fairs

Beijing is a capital of major industrial fairs, most of them at the exhibition centres in Shunyi near the airport. The best known:

• The China International Machine Tool Show (CIMT): 19–24 April 2027, for machinery, production lines and automation.
• The Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China): every two years; the latest edition ran from 24 April to 3 May 2026.
• The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS): every September; the 2026 edition ran from 9 to 13 September.

Hotels in Beijing near the fairs →

Entry and flights

• Saudi passport holders enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism and business; the waiver runs until 31 December 2026.
• Riyadh to Guangzhou and Jeddah to Guangzhou: direct flights on Saudia.
• Riyadh to Beijing daily on Air China from 2 November 2026, and to Shanghai on China Eastern from 18 November 2026.
• In January 2027 China Southern returns from Riyadh to Guangzhou and starts flights to Shenzhen.

Flights from Jeddah to Guangzhou →

Tips for a successful business trip

• Bring plenty of business cards, and install a translation app that works without Google services: most sellers speak Chinese.
• Google apps and WhatsApp are blocked in China, so arrange alternatives before you travel, and set up Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your card.
• Ask for samples and compare several factories before any agreement.
• During the fairs hotel prices rise and rooms fill up, so book early.

We find you the flights and the lowest available rate for a hotel near the fair or the markets, to suit your needs and your dates.

Travel to China from Saudi Arabia →