Those in the furniture business know that Foshan City in China is where you’ll find the largest furniture market in the world, where you’ll find furniture manufacturers and vendors of all kinds. The huge furniture malls locate in Foshan’s Shunde district are well-known globally and attract many foreign buyers every year because prices here are much lower than those in their home country.

So if you want to get the best furniture deals, whether for your home or your business, you need to go on a furniture sourcing trip in Foshan.

But if you’ve never been to China or don’t know China well, you probably have a lot of questions or concerns. Well, here are what you need to know and prepare to get the most out of your furniture sourcing trip.

Ⅰ.Prepare your project specifications

As a furniture buyer who may come all the way from the other side of the globe, you don’t want to go to China unprepared. That means having all the possible information you need ready when you get there.

What’s your project? Is it a hotel, a house, an office, a restaurant, wholesale or a retail space?

Have your drawings, floor plans, room measurements, color schemes, and furniture dimensions ready. Ask your contractor about the materials you might need. These are crucial information for manufacturers, especially for custom-made furniture. Include a full set of measurements for every room.

project specifications

Ⅱ. Create a furniture shopping list and prepare Visa

You better believe that those furniture malls in Foshan are huge! There’s just so much to see, and you only have a few days to take a look around.

To optimize your trip, make a shopping list of all items you intend to buy so you can focus on a few key places only.It is better to include the descriptions,materials,sizes,quantities and so on.

That way your agent in China can work out an easy schedule and itinerary ahead of time and guide you to a few factories or wholesalers that sell your items, or are capable of manufacturing what you need. So you don’t waste your time and energy in visiting so many furniture stores.Here is the simpliest templete for your reference:

Moreover,Visa is quite important.It is better to ask help from your local tour company.They will help take good care of all processes only if you pay a little charge.

Sometimes they may ask invitation letters from your Chinese suppliers for applying Visa.You need to prepare for this before booking hotels and flights.

Last but not the least,make sure your passport is valid before making a trip.

Ⅲ. Best time to visit

If you’re wondering when you should schedule your visit to China,there are some factors that you need to consider.

1.Is it the weather?

Not really,the weather in China is quite nice all the year round even Summer is a little hot and winter is a little cold (at least those furniture clusters locate  in good weather cities).This can be taken into consideration but not so important.

2.Is it the airline ticket prices?

I don’t think so.Airline ticket prices are pricey during the summer peak tourist season (May to August) and the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (January or February). If you want to save money, plan your trip in the low season (October to December and March to May).This is only a small factor when making a visiting trip.Not very important,either.

Then,what is the most important points when you making the visiting plan?

1.Make sure not to schedule your sourcing trip during Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (dates vary every year as these are based on the lunar calendar), National Day (October 1to October 7) and other public holidays as most businesses are closed.

  • All companies will be closed during Chinese New Year

  • Most of the factories will be closed during Chinese public holidays

  • Stores are open during Chinese public holidays,weekends

Conclusion,if you buy for sale and intend to visit factories directly,it is better to avoid any holidays.If you buy for house or small project,time is open cause stores will be open even on public holidays.

2.Visit on exhibition time or not?

There are some furniture exhibitions held in China every year.Here are a few of the big ones:

  • 18th March to 21st March  China International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou) for home furniture

  • 28th March to 31st March   China International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou) for office furniture

  • 15th April to 19th April    1st Phrase Canton Fair for building materials

  • 15th October to 19th October  1st Phrase Canton Fair for building materials

If you plan to purchase furniture for sale,it is worth visiting during the fairs cause there are more choices directly.Of course,the flight and hotel charge are much higher than daily.

Our suggestions:

If you plan to purchase furniture for home use and project,sincerely we suggest that you avoid the exhibition time to visit.Some customers told us that they would like to buy furniture from exhibition for their houses cause the price is cheap.It is true that the price in fair is cheaper.However,the suppliers are not willing to sell in retail.Wholesale orders are welcome.It is meaningless to visit the furniture exhibition if you place small order quantity only.

As for the number of days to stay, it depends on how big your project is and how many are the items on your shopping list. Remember that you’ll have to check designs, quality, dimensions, and prices of the items. And you’ll likely be talking to more than one supplier.

Plus, you might want to add an extra day for a bit of sightseeing, especially if it’s your first time in China. It’s probably safe to allow at least 4 full days (excluding flight time) for a sourcing trip. Click here to ask suggestions from us.

Ⅳ. Where to stay in Foshan

Where do you go for a relaxing stay and a good night’s sleep after a busy day doing business with furniture suppliers? You can choose from a lot of places to stay in Foshan, from luxury hotels to budget accommodation. Since these furniture sourcing trips can be so tiring, you’ll want to stay in a hotel that’s near the furniture markets so you’ll have more time to rest and also have more time for sightseeing.

Here are a few popular accommodations worth checking out:

best hotels in Foshan

You can book hotels from Trip,Expedia,Booking,Official Canton Fair website.

Remarks:Do not book a hotel in Guangzhou if you would like to purchase furniture from Foshan.Otherwise,there will be more than 3 hours wasting on the way every day.

Related article:Best Hotels in Foshan: Where to Stay When Buying Furniture

Ⅴ. Make the right shoes and clothes choice

To survive a furniture sourcing trip, wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

Choose clothes according to the season when you’re visiting.

If you are traveling during winter, pack an air pollution mask to filter airborne particles. Wear warm clothing and a warm jacket. Bringing a thick scarf, hat, and gloves would be a good idea.

During springtime, particularly in April and May, it can get quite warm. So pack some light clothes, and a hat to wear outside. Bring a light sweater for cooler days.

Summer is from June to August, the hottest and most humid time in China. Wear light and loose, comfortable clothing. Establishments like malls, museums, and many restaurants have their air-conditioning turned on.

Fall is from September to November when temperatures are pleasant, but day to day weather may vary. Dress in layers that you can take off when it gets hotter. Bring a light jacket and a hat to wear outside.

You’ll be doing a lot of walking during your sourcing trip so make sure to wear your most comfortable footwear. One that fits properly and allows for active toe motion, and that’s not squeezing any of your toes. It’s not advisable to wear the same flat shoes for 2 to 3 days straight as it can be painful. Bring an extra pair of shoes so you can rotate your shoes. And pack some Band-Aids too.

Taking some medicine just in case.Some clients suffered from jet lag and catched headache.It is a problem if buying Chinese medicine without English instructions.

Ⅵ. Currency and credit card

Compared to credit cards, cash is more commonly used in China, especially in smaller cities. The Chinese yuan (CNY),also called renminbi （RMB）is the official currency.

Make sure that you have enough cash for small purchases as foreign credit and debit cards may not be accepted everywhere.

Get cash on arrival at any Chinese international airport from cash machines and currency exchange counters. In the cities or even in smaller towns, you can use your debit card to withdraw money from 24-hour ATMs. Some hotels provide currency exchange services. Note that you may incur charges when exchanging foreign currency. Most of banks have a daily cash limit,like RMB10000 (about USD1470) per day.

Chinese bank

But more places now accept credit cards, with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express widely accepted. Be mindful that when you use your credit card in China, there’s a foreign currency exchange fee and a transaction fee from either the home or the local bank.

And in case you lose your wallet, it’s good to keep photocopies of your cards and emergency numbers of your banks and credit card companies.

You should also let your bank back home know that you will use your credit card and ATM card in China, so they won’t block your card and flag your transactions for unusual activity.

About payment for buying furniture from China,you can check more information HERE.

Remarks:

Somtimes there are some men go around the furniture malls and ask you whether you would like to exchange US dollar into RMB.Our suggestion is,it is ok if you exchange small amount like several hundred USD for emergency use.However,there is not any guarantee if you exchange too much money.Never forget this.

Ⅶ. Get a SIM card,a VPN,Wechat and DiDi App

Getting a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is one of the first things you should do as soon as you arrive in China. Unless your phone plan has a roaming service, the SIM card from your home country won’t work in China. Even if you are subscribed to an international plan or an international roaming service, that’s likely to be expensive. That’s why you need to get a temporary SIM card from a Chinese phone carrier.

Steps To Get A Chinese SIM Card:

1.You need to unlock your phone first because a locked phone can’t switch SIM cards to another provider. Ask your wireless service provider about this. Expect the process to take a few days.

2.Compare mobile plans and wireless carriers in China before your trip. It’s best to ask your reliable contact person in China about this.

3.While it’s easy to get a SIM card anywhere in China, buying from an official wireless carrier store is recommended, so you’ll have reliable help in setting up your phone service. Remember to bring your passport with you as all wireless carriers are required to associate a photo ID with your account.

4.Buy a “recharge” card when you use up your plan.Or you can ask for help for hotel or your Chinese agent.

It can be frustrating to do business in China due to internet restrictions. Due to government policy, you cannot access Google, Facebook, and Twitter there. But the good news is that if you subscribe to a good VPN service, you should be able to access most of the internet. Using VPNs is part of doing business in China, particularly for international companies.Some customers complaint that they can’t use gmail,what’sapp in China.It is a big disaster especially they need to arrange domestic work or communicate with families and friends.

Wechat is the most popular app in China.Anyone with a phone would download it.It is more convenient than what’sapp,like sending pictures, videos, voices, paying,booking, comments,real-time location sharing,transferring money,splitting bill,editing pictures,etc.

Most importantly, you can log on to wechat as long as you have mobile traffic or a Wifi  connection.It is also a good choice if you plan to do business with Chinese people cause most of the suppliers still can’t use what’sapp.

You only need to download wechat app from your mobile and register with a cell phone number or email address.Quite easy,right?

Didi is the most popular car-calling app in China.It is similar as Uber but more popular.Download and sign up is as easy as the other apps.There is English version,too.Didi is very easy to use.What you need to do is to set up a picking up address and destination address.The car will pick up you in several minutes.As for how to use this app, I am not going to explain in details here.You can check more information from the internet.

Ⅷ. How to get to Foshan from Hong Kong airport or Guangzhou Baiyun airport?

There’s no international airport in Foshan, so you get there via Hong Kong or Guangzhou.There are many indirect ways when getting from Hongkong to Foshan.However,here we only offer the best way for your reference:

Hong Kong to Foshan

Currently, there are no direct high-speed trains from Hong Kong to Foshan, but you can get to Foshan from Hong Kong via Guangzhou.

1.High-speed train

Normal way:from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), you can take the Hong Kong MTR service. Take the Airport Express Line from Airport Station to Kowloon Station (or Austin Station), then walk from Kowloon Station (or Austin station) to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. From there take a bullet train to Guangzhou South Station. Then transfer to another high-speed train to Foshan West or take a taxi from Guangzhou South Station to your hotel directly.

Best way:Taking a taxi from Hongkong International Airport to Hongkong West Kowloon Station,buying the high-speed train ticket to Guangzhou South Railway Station.Our company will arrange car service to pick you up to Foshan hotel directly.

Q:How to buy high-speed train ticket?

1.Online:buy tickets before your visit and collect it while you arrive at Kowloon West Station.

2.Buy on the station directly:there are many tickets vending machines on the station.Passport is needed.

Remarks:There are many trains from HK to GZ every day.About 20mins per shift.

It takes about 3 hours from Hongkong International Airport to Foshan:

Hongkong International Airport-Kowloon West Station:                 about 20mins

Buy ticket,pass security,find your seat:                                                 about 30mins

Train time:                                                                                                   about 50mins

Guangzhou South Station-Foshan:                                                        about 60mins

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station TO Foshan West (or called Foshanxi)

Update on 10th July,2019:Good news,there is bullet trains from Hong Kong West Kowloon to Foshan xi station from 10th July,2019.That means you can take the trian from Hongkong to Foshan directly and it only cost 1.5 hour.The only drawback is that there are only two shiftsper day.

More train information please check online.

2.By Bus

It is not the fastest or most convenient way to reach Foshan from Hongkong even there are many buses going in both directions every day.It takes more than 4 hours all the way cause you need to get off the bus,cross the border and 2 customs (Hongkongnese and Chinese),get on the bus again.The journey will be very tired if there is traffic jam.

Sincerely we don’t think this is a choice for all visitors.

3.By Ferry

If you would like to visit Shunde district of Foshan city,where many furniture suppliers locates,ferry may be a good choice.

  • There are only 5 shifts per day
  • it takes about 115mins for the journey
  • You can enjoy the scenery
  • Directly to Shunde district
  • It takes about one hour from Shunde port to Foshan city center

Ticket charge and timing please check below table:

FOSHAN SOURCING

Guangzhou to Foshan

The closest airport to Foshan is Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou. You have 3 regular  transportation options from Guangzhou Airport to Foshan: intercity bus, metro, taxi. 

From 7:00 AM onwards local time, you can ride a direct shuttle bus from the airport to Foshan. Buses depart every 30 minutes. The journey takes about 90 minutes.

It’s a little complicated if you take the metro from Guangzhou to Foshan. From the airport, take Metro Line 3, then transfer to Line 2 at JiaheWanggang Station. Next, transfer to Line 1 at Gongyuanqian Metro station, and last, transfer to Guangfo line at Xilang Metro Station. The trip takes about 70 to 80 minutes.

Last but not the least,you can contact with our company before your visit and we will pick you up from Guangzhou airport to your hotel directly.

Ⅸ. Cultural Attractions and Foods in Foshan

While a sourcing trip is primarily a business trip, you can sneak in some time for sightseeing, especially if it’s your first time to visit Foshan.

Culture and history enthusiasts can explore temples, museums, and historical places like Foshan Zumiao Ancestral Temple, Lingnan Tiandi,Wong Fei-hung Memorial Hall, Ancient Nanfeng Kiln, Wong Fei Hung Lion Dance Martial Arts Museum, Foshan Hongsheng Museum, and Nanhai Guanyin Temple.

A visit to any of the nature parks and gardens like Xiqiao Mountain National Forest Park, Shunde Qinghui Park, Sanshui Lotus Theme Park, and Liang Garden can be relaxing.

Did you know that Foshan’s claim to worldwide fame is its connection to Bruce Lee? A visit to Bruce Lee Park is a must for martial arts practitioners and fans of the Kung Fu legend.

Wondering about the food in Foshan? There are many good restaurants here, including those in hotels, serving a wide variety of cuisines, including both Chinese food and western food.There are many delicious local snacks,too.

If you look for some hometown food,such as Yemen,Turkey,Syria,Muslim,Indian food,you need a guide cause not so many local people know where to find those restaurants.

Ⅹ. Find a furniture sourcing agent

How do you even get started on a furniture sourcing trip? Who do you talk to and where do you go once you’re in China?

The easiest way to finding a furniture supplier is to engage the services of a professional furniture sourcing agent from China who will assist you in every step in the process of sourcing reliable furniture suppliers.

Hiring a China sourcing agent is a necessary investment. He or she is essentially your business partner whose primary tasks are to guide you through the sourcing process and handle all your communications in China. This sourcing agent will have the industry knowledge and local smarts needed to make it easier for you to do business in China.

chinese best sourcing agent

A furniture sourcing trip is a not a simple shopping trip. You have to be patient and focused for the trip to be successful. Use the information here for planning your furniture sourcing trip to China.

Have a nice trip!

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