Sooner or later, if you're serious about sourcing from China, you'll want to visit in person — to meet suppliers, inspect factories, and attend trade fairs. China is not one homogenous market; knowing how to move through it efficiently will save you days of wasted time.
1. Entry Points: Which City to Fly Into
Your entry point depends on what you're sourcing. Guangzhou is the best base for general trading, auto parts, and the Canton Fair, with direct flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, and Doha. Shenzhen suits electronics and proximity to Hong Kong. Yiwu is best for small commodities and general merchandise. Shanghai is the base for eastern China's industrial belt.
2. Getting Around Within a City
The metro is fast, cheap, and available with English signage in all major cities. Didi (China's ride-hailing app) is the most practical way to reach factories away from a metro stop — download it before you arrive. For multi-stop visits, a hired driver for the day is often more efficient.
3. Getting Between Cities: High-Speed Rail
China's high-speed rail connects manufacturing regions faster than flying once airport time is factored in. Guangzhou to Foshan takes under 30 minutes; Guangzhou to Shenzhen around 30–45 minutes. Plan multi-region trips around rail stations, not just factory addresses, and build in buffer time for each city change.
4. Language and Translation
Outside major hotels and business districts, English is not widely spoken, especially inside factories. Bring offline translation apps, and rely on WeChat — almost all Chinese business communication happens there, not email or WhatsApp. A local partner who speaks both languages saves an entire day of miscommunication per factory visit.
5. Payments and Connectivity
WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate domestically; carry some cash as backup since foreign cards don't work everywhere. Set up a VPN before you land, not after — Google and WhatsApp are blocked. Arrange an eSIM or local SIM at the airport to stay connected.
6. A Practical First Sourcing Trip
A well-planned 5–7 day trip typically looks like: arrival and setup on day one, factory visits in your primary city on days two–three, a trade fair visit if timed right, travel to a secondary manufacturing cluster by rail, then follow-up meetings and sample collection before departure.
7. Common Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make
- Scheduling factory visits too close together without travel buffer.
- Not confirming the exact factory address in Chinese characters before departure.
- Underestimating how spread out industrial zones are.
- Traveling without a local contact who can smooth logistics in real time.
How Keerki Helps
Keerki Limited is based in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, and we regularly host and accompany clients from across the Gulf on factory visits. We handle routing, translation, transport, and scheduling, so your time in China is spent meeting suppliers, not lost in traffic or translation apps.
