Twice a year, the Canton Fair (officially the China Import and Export Fair) brings tens of thousands of international buyers to Guangzhou. If you're coming to source products, your days rarely stay inside the exhibition halls: you'll move between your hotel, the fair, supplier meetings, factory visits, and — if you're a Muslim traveler — you'll also want to eat well without spending an hour each meal searching for halal food.
This guide is written by a local team that helps international travelers in Guangzhou. It focuses on the practical decisions that make a Canton Fair trip run smoothly, and links to more detailed guides on transport, halal food, hotels and factory visits.
1. Canton Fair 2026 dates
The Canton Fair runs in three phases, each covering different product categories. For 2026 the phases are:
| Phase | Dates (2026) | Broad focus |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | October 15–19, 2026 | Electronics, appliances, machinery, manufacturing, vehicles, tools |
| Phase 2 | October 23–27, 2026 | Home products, kitchenware, furniture, decorations, gifts |
| Phase 3 | October 31 – November 4, 2026 | Textiles & garments, shoes, bags, toys, health & personal care |
The fair is held at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in the Pazhou area of Guangzhou (Haizhu District). Dates and details are set by the organiser, so confirm everything on the official Canton Fair website before you book flights or hotels.
2. Which Canton Fair phase should you attend?
Each phase groups related industries, so the phase you attend depends on what you're sourcing. As a broad guide:
- Phase 1 — electronics, home appliances, machinery, building materials, vehicles, hardware and tools.
- Phase 2 — home goods, kitchenware, tableware, furniture, home decor and gifts.
- Phase 3 — textiles and garments, shoes, bags, toys, baby products, and health, beauty and personal care.
These are broad groupings only. If your products sit near a boundary — or you're sourcing across categories — check the official product categories so you don't book the wrong week. Some buyers attend more than one phase and plan transport and hotels around the gap between them.
3. What Muslim buyers should plan before arriving
A little planning before you fly removes most of the friction. The essentials:
- Airport transport — decide in advance how you'll get from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to your hotel, especially if you land late or with samples and luggage.
- Hotel location — where you stay affects your daily commute to Pazhou, your access to halal food, and how easily you reach suppliers. See where to stay in Guangzhou for Canton Fair.
- Halal food — know a few reliable options in advance, and plan meals around your route rather than only near the halls.
- Prayer — Guangzhou has mosques, including the historic Huaisheng Mosque; many Muslim travelers also pray at their hotel between meetings. Build short buffers into your schedule.
- Getting around — the fair is one stop among several; think about how you'll link the airport, hotel, fair, suppliers and restaurants.
- Supplier and factory visits — if you plan to visit factories, confirm addresses early; some are outside the city.
- Communication — set up WhatsApp and keep supplier contacts handy; it's the simplest way to coordinate on the ground.
4. Halal food in Guangzhou
Guangzhou has a well-established Muslim food scene — Xinjiang restaurants, Cantonese-Muslim (Hui) cooking, and Central Asian and Middle Eastern spots. The catch is that these restaurants are spread across different districts, so the practical question isn't just "where is a good halal restaurant?" but "where can I eat halal on the way between my meetings?"
Our full directory of halal restaurants in Guangzhou — with areas, hours and map links.
Halal food guide →5. Getting around Guangzhou
For most buyers, Canton Fair is only one part of the trip. A typical day looks less like "hotel → fair → hotel" and more like this:
The metro is cheap and reliable for simple routes, but it's less convenient with luggage, samples or several business stops. We compare all the options — metro, taxi, ride-hailing and a private driver — in the transport guide.
How to get around Guangzhou during Canton Fair — metro vs taxi vs private driver.
Transport guide →6. Factory & supplier visits
Serious sourcing usually means leaving the exhibition halls to meet suppliers and inspect factories, often in Guangzhou, Foshan or Dongguan. Coordinating multiple stops in one day — with samples, a small team and a changing schedule — is where transport planning matters most.
Planning factory and supplier visits after the fair?
Factory visits guide →7. A private driver for Canton Fair
A private car and driver is most useful when a single day combines several of these: the airport, your hotel, the Canton Fair complex, a supplier meeting, a factory, and a halal restaurant. Instead of arranging a new ride for every stop — and re-explaining where you're going each time — you keep one vehicle and driver for the day, and your route can flex if a meeting runs long.
For Muslim buyers, we can also help identify suitable halal dining options along the way, so a lunch or dinner stop doesn't derail the schedule.