The Top Cities for Business Travellers

In China, an industry usually concentrates in one city or even one town. Suppliers, component makers, tooling shops, packaging firms and logistics providers all settle close together. If you go to the right cluster you can see ten relevant suppliers in a day. In the wrong city you may find none.

• Electronics, hardware and gadgets: Shenzhen for design, components and prototyping, and Dongguan for contract manufacturing and volume production.
• Small commodities, gifts, stationery, accessories: Yiwu, home to a very large wholesale market system for small goods and export.
• Lighting and home appliances: Zhongshan, especially the Guzhen area, which is known for lighting.
• Eyewear: Danyang, known for frames, lenses and sunglasses.
• Furniture, ceramics and home goods: Foshan, with large furniture and building materials trading areas.
• German-style precision engineering, auto parts and machinery: Taicang, which has a large cluster of German-owned companies near Shanghai.
• Pharmaceuticals, textiles and industrial products: Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province.

Use this table for planning. The guide pages show the population and specialisation chart for each city, so the table below focuses on what matters for your trip. Visit lengths are rough suggestions for a focused sourcing trip.

Check the individual city guides for restaurants, hotels, markets and transport specifics before you book.

China's high-speed rail network is the backbone of most multi-city trips. Journeys of one to two hours between neighbouring cities are common, and trains leave and arrive in the city centre, avoiding long airport waits. Domestic flights are better for the longest hops, for example between the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta.

• Pearl River Delta loop: Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhongshan sit within roughly one to two hours of each other by rail or road. This is the easiest multi-city trip in China.
• Yangtze River Delta loop: Shanghai, Taicang, Danyang and Yiwu can be linked by high-speed rail and road, with Shanghai as the usual gateway.
• Between the two regions: Take a domestic flight, normally a couple of hours, between Guangdong and Shanghai or Hangzhou.
• Northern trip: Shijiazhuang is on the main north-south high-speed corridor and is usually reached from Beijing.

The China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, is held in Guangzhou and is among the largest trade fairs in China. It is normally held twice a year, in spring and in autumn, and is organised in phases by product category. Visitors often use it to meet many suppliers in one place before deciding which factories to visit. Check the official site for current dates, phases and registration rules, since the schedule changes.

Other fairs exist for specific industries. Yiwu holds a commodities fair, Shenzhen hosts technology and electronics events, and the lighting and furniture trades have regional exhibitions in Guangdong. Dates change each year, so do not plan from memory. Always confirm on the organiser's own website.

A factory is a working site. Walk-in visits are rare. Most are arranged through the supplier's sales contact or a sourcing agent, who can also help check that the supplier is a real factory rather than a trading company. Allow a full day per visit if the factory is outside the city centre.

• Confirm the visit and the address in Chinese in writing.
• Bring business cards, your passport copy, and any samples or drawings.
• Ask in advance about photography, safety clothing and visitor registration.
• Expect a hosted lunch. It is part of relationship building.
• Consider a third-party inspection for large orders; it is a normal part of sourcing in China.

Visa rules vary by nationality and change from time to time, including short visa-free arrangements for some countries. Check the official Chinese embassy or consulate page for your country before booking, and confirm whether your trip activities are covered. This guide does not give visa advice.

In most Chinese cities you pay with your phone. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive and read the essential apps guide. Many services ask for a Chinese phone number, which is covered in do I need a local phone number. For getting around, see DiDi and ride sharing and shared bikes. For food, read using Meituan, and for staying charged on long days, power banks.

It is worth exploring discounts and deals, groceries and Taobao if you are staying longer or ordering samples and supplies.