Canton Fair: a practical visitor guide
Three phases, 155 hectares of exhibition space, and roughly 25,000 exhibitors. This guide covers the logistics — dates, badge, venue, transport, where to stay and how to plan a day — so you can spend your time on the floor rather than in queues.
141st session (autumn 2026), Guangzhou:
Phase 1 — 15–19 October 2026
Phase 2 — 23–27 October 2026
Phase 3 — 31 October – 4 November 2026
142nd session (spring 2027):
Phase 1 — 15–19 April 2027 · Phase 2 — 23–27 April 2027 · Phase 3 — 1–5 May 2027
Which phase is which
The fair is split thematically. Check which phase covers your product category before booking flights — this is the single most common and most expensive mistake first-time visitors make.
| Phase | Roughly covers |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Advanced manufacturing: electronics and appliances, machinery, vehicles and two-wheelers, lighting, hardware and tools, new materials and chemical products, energy, industrial automation |
| Phase 2 | Consumer goods and home: housewares, gifts and premiums, home decorations, furniture, building and decorative materials, ceramics, kitchenware, garden products |
| Phase 3 | Lifestyle: apparel and fashion, home textiles, shoes, office supplies, cases and bags, toys, personal care, medicines and health products, food, sports and recreation |
Category groupings are indicative; the organiser publishes the detailed hall-by-hall list closer to each session. Confirm on the official site.
Getting your buyer badge
Overseas visitors need a Buyer Badge to enter. Register online in advance through the official Canton Fair portal:
- Pre-registration online is free and lets you collect your badge quickly, or print it at designated desks.
- On-site registration costs extra and queues. During peak days this can eat an hour or more of your morning.
- Have a valid passport, a business card and a passport-style digital photo ready for the application.
- Your badge is reusable across sessions — keep it.
The venue and how to get there
China Import and Export Fair Complex (Pazhou), Yuejiang Middle Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou. It is large, and the areas are not adjacent in any meaningful walking sense.
- Metro Line 8: Pazhou station for Areas A and B; Xingangdong station for Area C. This is by far the most reliable way in during the fair.
- Shuttle buses run between the halls and from major hotels; hotel shuttles are common at 4- and 5-star properties near the complex.
- Taxi / ride-hailing works but expect road congestion and designated drop-off points at peak times.
- From Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN), allow 45–60 minutes by road, longer at rush hour, or take the metro.
Where to stay
- Near the complex (Pazhou / Haizhu) — shortest commutes, often with fair shuttle buses, but books out months ahead and prices rise sharply during the fair.
- Tianhe / Zhujiang New Town — the main business district, 20–30 minutes by metro, better restaurants and hotel choice.
- Either way, book as early as you can: during fair weeks, rooms within easy reach of Pazhou sell out and rates can double.
What to bring
- Business cards — 200–300 at minimum. Double-sided (English one side, Chinese the other) is a small touch that lands well.
- Product specification sheets with dimensions, materials, colours, packaging and target certifications, plus reference photos. Specific requests get specific quotes.
- A one-page company profile: what you sell, which markets, rough annual volume. Suppliers size you up on this.
- A comparison spreadsheet ready to fill in: supplier, item, unit price, MOQ, lead time, payment terms, notes.
- Comfortable shoes, a power bank, a small torch or phone light, and a foldable bag for catalogues.
How to structure a day
- Arrive at opening (generally 09:30) — the first two hours are the quietest and the best time for real conversations.
- Walk the halls for orientation first, then do a second pass to talk. Do not start negotiating in the first aisle you see.
- Block 2–3 full days if your category is spread across halls; one day is a reconnaissance, not a sourcing trip.
- Take photos of booth numbers and name cards together — you will not remember which stand quoted what.
- Write up notes each evening. Memory degrades fast after the fourth hall.
Many visitors use the fair to shortlist and then spend the days before or after visiting production sites in Guangdong (Foshan, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Zhongshan). If you plan to do this, schedule the visits around the fair dates — suppliers are at their busiest during the fair itself. Allow a maximum of two site visits per day including travel.
After the fair
- Send a short written summary to each contact you genuinely want to pursue — within a week, while they still remember you.
- Request formal quotations and samples in writing, with your specification sheet attached.
- Keep your badge and registration for the next session.
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