Canton Fair (广交会) for foreign buyers: badge, getting there, paying, and surviving the week

✅ Updated Oct 2026

The Canton Fair — officially the China Import and Export Fair, 中国进出口商品交易会 — is the largest trade fair in China, held twice a year in Guangzhou at the Pazhou complex (琶洲, Haizhu District). The autumn 2026 session, the 140th, runs in three phases with the halls closed for changeover in between: Phase 1, 15–19 October (electronics, appliances, machinery, vehicles, hardware, energy); Phase 2, 23–27 October (housewares, gifts, furniture, ceramics, building materials); Phase 3, 31 October – 4 November (fashion, textiles, shoes, toys, health and medical products, food). The spring session follows the same pattern from mid-April. The buyer badge is free if you pre-register online in the Buyer Service System (buyer.cantonfair.org.cn) with your passport and company details and a photo; registering on site costs ¥200. To collect the badge you need your original passport, the pre-registration receipt (on your phone is fine) and at least one business card. Collection counters are at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, Guangzhou South Railway Station, the Pazhou ferry terminal, designated hotels and the on-site registration offices. The badge is in your name — keep it on you, you need it at every entrance. Getting there: Metro Line 8 is the fair's line. Pazhou station (琶洲) exits A/B lead to Area B; Xingang East (新港东) serves Area A; Line 8 Pazhou exit C is closest to Area C. From the airport, take Line 3 and change to Line 8; budget about an hour. Taxis queue badly at closing time — the metro is faster, or walk one stop before hailing a DiDi. Visas: there are three routes, and which one applies depends on your passport. Many nationalities now have 30-day visa-free entry that explicitly covers business trips; Guangzhou is also a port for 240-hour visa-free transit if you are flying on to a third country. Everyone else needs an M (business) visa, and the invitation letter for it comes only from the official Buyer Service System — ignore anyone selling "Canton Fair invitations". Lists and durations have changed several times in 2025–26, so check your nationality on the official list before you book anything. Paying and getting around: suppliers, taxis and canteens run on Alipay and WeChat Pay. Set one up with your foreign card before you fly — see our Alipay guide — and carry some cash as a backup; many exhibitors also take USD deposits by bank transfer, never cash in the hall. A local eSIM saves you from hotel Wi-Fi when you need to send supplier photos. Practical tips: hotels near Pazhou triple in price during the fair, so book early or stay a few metro stops away (Kecun, Chigang, Zhujiang New Town). Phases are by product category — come for the one that matches what you buy. Photograph every booth's card and price sheet, because by day three they blur together. If you need an interpreter for factory visits after the fair, ask on our Ask-a-Local board or request a guide.

1. 1

   Pick the phase that matches your products: Phase 1 electronics/machinery (Oct 15–19), Phase 2 home/gifts/furniture (Oct 23–27), Phase 3 fashion/toys/health/food (Oct 31–Nov 4).

2. 2

   Check your visa route on the official list: 30-day visa-free, 240-hour transit (Guangzhou is a port), or an M visa with the official invitation letter.

3. 3

   Pre-register in the Buyer Service System (buyer.cantonfair.org.cn) for a free badge; on-site registration costs ¥200.

4. 4

   Collect the badge with your original passport, the pre-registration receipt and a business card — at the airport, Guangzhou South Station or the on-site offices.

5. 5

   Take Metro Line 8 to Pazhou (Area B, exits A/B) or Xingang East (Area A).

   请问去广交会怎么走？ · qǐngwèn qù guǎng jiāo huì zěnme zǒu?

6. 6

   Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your foreign card before you fly, and carry some cash as a backup.

7. 7

   Book a hotel early or a few metro stops away — rooms near Pazhou spike during the fair.