Entry & visas
China’s visa-free and transit policies change. Check the latest rules for your nationality before booking flights, and carry a printed hotel address and itinerary. We issue invitation letters when a visa application needs one.
Yangtze Delta field guide
The Delta, beyond the skyline.
Shanghai is the gateway. Within three hours there are gardens, canals, ports, textile mills, auto plants and the world’s largest small-commodities market.
31.23° N · 121.47° EYangtze River Delta · 长三角
One region, many reasons to go.
One region, many reasons to go.
Distances and drive times are approximate, measured from central Shanghai in normal traffic. We re-time every route around your meetings.
Production bases
Where things are actually made.
Ten manufacturing and sourcing clusters we visit for guests, with the industries each is known for and the honest travel time from Shanghai.
NingboZhejiang
Port, parts and precision
Jinhua & YiwuZhejiang
The world’s small-commodities counter
YongkangZhejiang
Hardware, tools and the kitchen sink
HangzhouZhejiang
E-commerce, textiles and tea
SuzhouJiangsu
Precision manufacturing, classical gardens
NantongJiangsu
Home textiles and shipbuilding
GuangdeAnhui
Anhui’s lower-cost manufacturing belt
HainingZhejiang
Leather, fur and fabric
ShaoxingZhejiang
Textiles, dyeing and yellow wine
WuhuAnhui
Autos, robotics and a river port
Field notes
Practical notes for the Delta
Six things worth knowing before you land: entry, transfers, payments, factory etiquette, timing and the Yiwu run.
Airport to city
Pudong (PVG) is about 45–60 minutes from Jing’an by car; Hongqiao (SHA) is 25–40 minutes. Both are connected by metro, but a driver meets you inside arrivals and is the calmer choice after a long flight.
Paying in China
Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted almost everywhere; international cards can be linked. Keep a little cash for small stalls. Your guide can help set up payment apps before the first purchase.
Factory-visit etiquette
Bring a passport, business cards and a printed specification. Ask before photographing a production line. Build 30–45 minutes of buffer between plants — gates, registration and a cup of tea take longer than the map suggests.
When to come
Spring and autumn are the easiest months for both sightseeing and factory visits. Summer is hot and wet; winter is cold and clear. Trade fairs and Chinese New Year move hotel rates and traffic — check the calendar before fixing dates.
The Yiwu run
Yiwu is about 2 hours 45 minutes by car from Shanghai, or 1 hour 30 minutes by high-speed rail to Yiwu Station. The market is enormous: decide which districts you need before you arrive, and bring a sourcing list, not a vague idea.
Production bases
The Delta at a glance
| Base | Industries | From Shanghai | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ningbo | Auto parts · Home appliances · Moulds and tooling | 2 h by car | Supplier audits, port visits, automotive and appliance sourcing. |
| Jinhua & Yiwu | Small commodities · Accessories · Packaging | 2 h 45 by car | First-time buyers, sample sourcing and small-order consolidation. |
| Yongkang | Power tools · Cookware · Fitness equipment | 3 h 20 by car | OEM hardware, tool brands, cookware and fitness products. |
| Hangzhou | E-commerce · Apparel · Machinery | 2 h 15 by car | Digital-economy meetings, apparel sourcing and a tea-and-culture add-on. |
| Suzhou | Electronics · Precision engineering · Biotech | 1 h 15 by car | Electronics and medtech suppliers, plus a garden itinerary for the same day. |
| Nantong | Home textiles · Bedding · Shipbuilding | 2 h by car | Home-textile sourcing, shipyard visits and river-port logistics. |
| Guangde | Building materials · Bamboo · Electronics | 2 h 30 by car | Cost-down sourcing, factory relocation and Anhui-based suppliers. |
| Haining | Leather · Fur · Textiles | 1 h 45 by car | Leather and fur sourcing, textile mills and solar suppliers. |
| Shaoxing | Textiles · Dyeing · Yellow wine | 2 h 15 by car | Fabric mills, dyeing houses and a cultural add-on. |
| Wuhu | Automobiles · Robotics · New materials | 3 h by car | Automotive and robotics suppliers, and Anhui expansion visits. |
Start here
Not sure which base fits your product?
Send us the product, the quantity and the supplier names you already have. We will tell you which cluster is worth the drive — and which is not.
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