Guangzhou Wholesale Markets: Where, Hours and Getting There

What “the wholesale market” means in Guangzhou

Guangzhou’s wholesale trade is spread over hundreds of specialised markets, each for one product type. The city said at an April 8, 2026 press conference that it has 508 of them with around 160,000 merchants, and that in 2025 they received over 20 million overseas buyer visits. A trip.com guide describes the same pattern: Baima, Shahe, Shisanhang and Liuhua for clothing, and separate markets for fabric, leather, toys, electronics and more.

For a visitor that means choosing a product type first, then going to that district. This guide covers the basics for visiting; for specific markets see Baima and Shisanhang clothing markets and Fangcun tea market.

Where the main markets are

Newsgd’s Liwan guide also lists a stationery and toy centre, the Huangsha seafood market, the Qingping traditional medicine market, a pet market and the Xidi Second Road electronics area. We have not checked metro stations for those, so use a map app.

Opening hours

Hours are the weak point of every guide. For Baima, the market’s own website gives 08:00 to 18:00, as does trip.com; Travel China Guide gives 08:30 to 17:30. For Shisanhang, Travel China Guide gives 09:00 to 14:00. Trip.com says many clothing wholesale markets work from morning to late afternoon, with flower markets and retail streets open later, and that hours at one large Baiyun clothing complex vary between buildings.

Treat these as typical. Go in the morning, and look for the opening sign at the entrance.

How to get there

• Metro: For the two clothing markets in the table, use Lines 2 and 5 (Baima) or Lines 6 and 8 (Shisanhang). See Guangzhou metro with foreign cards.
• Taxi and ride-hailing: Save the market name and address in Chinese before you leave the hotel, as trip.com advises. The Show your driver tool stores addresses. See Didi in Guangzhou.
• From the Canton Fair: An April 2026 Newsgd report promised ten bus routes to key markets during the fair; the plan itself does not list them. For the 140th fair (from October 15, 2026), the city’s transport guide lists one custom bus from the complex towards Liuhua Road (流花路), 15:00 to 19:00 on the first four days of each phase and 13:00 to 17:00 on day five, according to Guangzhou Daily. Compare with the Canton Fair metro guide.

How to pay

Alipay and WeChat Pay are the normal methods. The city’s 2026–2028 plan promises better payment facilities for foreign buyers, and at its April 2026 press conference the commerce bureau said major foreign cards would be enabled for core vendors in key business districts, with no date for cards. Carry both a payment app and some cash.

Behaving as a visitor

• Stalls are open to look. Ask before photographing goods or people. We found no published photo rule for these markets, so follow signs and staff.
• Keep bags zipped in crowds, like any busy street.
• Expect Chinese-only signs at many stalls. The city’s plan says multilingual signs and foreign buyer service centres will expand, with no date.

Staying nearby

A trip.com guide says many buyers stay around Guangzhou Railway Station and Yuexiu District because Baima, Liuhua and other fashion markets are close. If your focus is the Canton Fair, Haizhu near Pazhou is closer. See where to stay for the Canton Fair.