I (Jack) have recently gone to Guangzhou, China to attend the Canton Fair. I went during phase one, which included a huge array of manufactures that made products from power banks to heavy machinery. There are three phases in total which all display products from range of industries, there is literally something for everyone, take a look at the website for more information. It takes place in 3 unbelievably big convention centers that range from 3-5 floors and cover kilometers worth of booths.

If you are looking to experience the real Chinese hustle and bustle, spend a few minutes talking to manufactures, haggling over price and quality of products. Even if you are not interested in purchasing a thousand fans, it is still interesting to learn the culture and meeting the backbone of China manufactures. There is also a huge amount of people at the fair that are worth having a chat to as well. To get access to the Canton Fair you will need a passport photo and 100RMB for a lifetime membership.

Visited: April but there are two Canton Fairs a year, the second is in August.

Fair Location: China Import & Export Fair (Pazhou) Complex  (No. 380 Yuejiang Zhong Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, China)

Accommodation: The Old Port Hostel

This hostel was another one of a kind. It only has one room with 6 beds and is actually located on a popular riverbank. Over the weekend, busses of local Chinese head to this riverbank located near Wanshengwei Metro Station to escape the city. The hostel is conveniently only 4 stops on bus 229 to the Canton Fair. The owner is a chap from Manchester and loves to hang around for a beer after work, which are extremely cheap, by the way.

Since I am based currently in Hong Kong, it only took a quick two hour train ride from Hung Hom in Kowloon to Guangzhou. There are also trains from across the country that connect to Guangzhou to all major cities. If you are visiting, you will need to organize a visitors visa at least 2 weeks in advance and the price all depends on which country your passport was issued in. A double entry visa for Australians is around $75AUD and takes about 5 working days to process. If you are interested in visiting China all together make sure you check our our China travel page!

Have you been to the Canton Fair? Tell us about it!

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