Nine Industrial Clusters in Guangdong Province, China

Guangdong Province is a vital player in Chinese export and boasts numerous major cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Foshan, all of which are well-known to foreign importers. Additionally, there is a significant number of foreign importers residing in these cities.

In this article, I will briefly introduce several important industrial clusters located in Guangdong Province.

Brief Introduction of Guangdong Province
Seaports of Guangdong for Exporting
Guangzhou City (广州）
Shenzhen City – China’s Capital of Electronic Products
Dongguan City
Zhongshan City (中山)
Foshan City (佛山)
Toy Manufacturing in Shantou City (汕头)-Chenghai Toy Cluster
Jieyang City (揭阳)- Stainless Steel Products

1. Brief Introduction of Guangdong Province

Guangdong is one of China’s most prominent industrial provinces. This coastal province is situated in the south of China’s mainland and is bordered by Fujian to the east, Jiangxi and Hunan to the north, Guangxi to the west, and Hainan to the southwest. Being adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, Guangdong is situated in the heart of Southeast China and the Southeast Asian Economic Circle.

These industries have strong production and processing capacities, making them one of the largest manufacturing bases in China, and even the world. In addition, Guangdong is also developing new hi-tech industries that focus on information technology, biotechnology, optical-electronic-machinery integration, and new materials.

2. Seaports of Guangdong for Exporting

Guangdong Province has three ports for export: Guangzhou Port, Shenzhen Port, and Hong Kong Port. Each port has its own advantages.

1. Guangzhou Port

It is the largest port for foreign trade in South China. Although Guangzhou Port was mainly focused on domestic trade lanes in past years due to the limitations of its natural conditions, more and more international lanes are now being opened, thanks to the construction and use of Nansha Port.

International lanes include Red Sea Lane, Europe Lane, Southeast Asia Lane, Western United States Lane, USA & Canada Lane, Mediterranean Lane, Africa Lane, Japan Lane, and Korea Lane, among others.

Nansha Port belongs to Guangzhou Port

2. Shenzhen Port

Shenzhen Port mainly handles international exports using full-container shipping. One of its advantages is its efficient shipping date, which is usually 5-10 days faster than shipping from Guangzhou Port.

In the past, most export cargoes were transferred from Guangzhou to Shenzhen Port before Nansha Port (which belongs to Guangzhou Port) was built.

The East port (Yantian Port) mainly serves Europe and US lanes, while the West port (Shekou Port and Chiwan Port) mainly serves Mediterranean Lane and Asia Lane.

Chiwan Port belongs to Shenzhen Port

3. Hong Kong Port

Hong Kong Port is the primary international port for transshipment, so the main business is international transshipment of containers.

Hong Kong Port’s hinterland is Pearl River Delta, which is the same as Guangzhou and Shenzhen Port. However, with the development of Guangzhou and Shenzhen Port in recent years, Hong Kong Port has been surpassed by them. The main reasons are further distance from the supply of goods, higher labor cost, and higher port service charge. The total shipping fee when shipping a container from Hong Kong Port, including trucking fee and port service charge, is around USD 300 higher than shipping from Shenzhen Port.

Sometimes, Chinese suppliers ship their goods that are hazardous articles from Hong Kong Port because there is no way to ship from mainland ports. I have heard that many forwarders do this business, and some even specialize in shipping hazardous articles. Usually, the goods are contained in Guangzhou or Shenzhen and then transferred to Hong Kong Port for boarding. If you want to know more about these three ports or other ports in China, you can check out this blog.

3. Guangzhou City (广州）

As the capital city of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is the third largest city in China and the largest city in South Central China. It is also an important industrial base in China and the comprehensive industrial manufacture in South China as well.

The multiple industrial clusters, including many huge wholesale markets, are located in Guangzhou and distribute in every district, which I will introduce as follows:

1. Baiyun District (白云区)

Apparel wholesale market located near Guangzhou train station

Apparel and accessories are some of the most advantageous products of the Baiyun district, particularly suit-dresses. You can also find cosmetic products here, such as face creams and makeup tools, as well as accessories like jewelry, bags, and suitcases.

There are several clocks and watch markets located near Guangzhou Train Station, which is in the Baiyun district. The largest and most popular one is the Nanfang clocks and watches market, where you can find various kinds of watch shops for wholesale and retail, along with related accessories. Most of the supplies for these shops are located in Guangzhou, but some are from other cities, such as Yiwu and Wenzhou, and even other countries.

I visited the clock market with a foreign friend last year. He told me that he could buy delicate knockoffs of some luxury watches as gifts when he returned home, such as those from Rolex and Cartier. We were very careful when talking with the shop owners to avoid drawing the police’s attention. This business has to be done under the table because it is obviously illegal.

Equipment for advertising and exhibitions are also gathered in the Baiyun district, such as LED lamp houses and advertising boards. Additionally, the International Signs and LED Exhibition is held annually in Guangzhou.

*Watches displayed in the Guangzhou clock market*

2. Yuexiu District

This district is home to a variety of daily use items, with a focus on household goods such as cushions, wall clocks, and small decorations. Additionally, you can find automotive lighting and other car accessories here, including car headlights, stoplights, floor mats, chargers, and more.

3. Panyu Districtlow prices

One advantage of this area is its playground facilities, which include kart and video game equipment. Another popular product is jewelry, which also includes hair accessories.

4. Huadu District (花都区)

Huadu is well-known for its leather products, and there is a large leather market located in Shiling (狮岭, a small town in Huadu) that has earned the nickname “China’s capital of leather”. Here, you can find a wide variety of leather materials, accessories, and products available for wholesale. This market supplies many bag and suitcase factories, not only in Guangzhou, but also in other cities throughout the country.

Chemical fabrics, such as dacron and nylon, are also popular products manufactured in Huadu District.

5. Zengcheng District (增城区)

This area is a hub for jeanswear supplies, particularly for men’s, women’s, and children’s jeans.

4. Shenzhen City – China’s Capital of Electronic Products

Shenzhen is a major city in Guangdong Province and is located near Hong Kong. With a working population of over 3 million, it is a major manufacturing center in China, with electronic products being the most famous, ranging from high-tech to low-end.

Many foreign high-tech companies have their China operations centers located in Shenzhen, along with many successful Chinese companies like BYD, ZTE, and Skyworth.

However, electronic products are not the only goods manufactured in Shenzhen. Other products include packing materials, women’s clothing, and jewelry.

1. Luohu District

Jewelry and clothing, especially silver jewelry and women’s clothing, are the advantage products of this area. In addition, there are also many shipping forwarders who gather in Luohu.

2. Futian District (福田区)

Futian District is home to numerous suppliers of mobile phone spare parts, mobile communications, digital accessories, and integrated circuits. Mobile communications include interphones, while digital accessories include USB hubs, memory cards, card readers, and power adapters, among others.

In addition, you can also find coating and painting products suitable for both industrial and household use in this area.

3. Baoan District (宝安区)

In addition to mobile phone spare parts, you can also find digital products, LED products, equipment for manufacturing electronic products, and power sources in Baoan District.

Digital products include USB flash drives, MP3/MP4 players, and digital cameras. There are also various types of equipment for manufacturing electronic products, such as welding machines, dispensers, and chip mounters. Power sources such as voltage stabilizers and variable-frequency power sources are also available.

4. Nanshan District

The Nanshan district differs from the above districts in that it mainly produces women’s clothing and daily use articles, rather than electronic products. Additionally, there are many agencies in the district that offer services for company registration, obtaining certificates and documents, as well as customs inspections and clearance.

5. Dongguan City

Dongguan is an important industrial city located in the Pearl River Delta. The largest industrial cluster in the area is the electronics and communications equipment manufacturing industry, with a focus on electronic parts and components.

Dongguan is also the largest manufacturing area for plastic materials in southern China. Another city in the north, Yuyao and Huangyan, was mentioned in the last article about industrial clusters in Zhejiang Province, China. The plastic materials cluster in Shenzhen mainly gathers in three towns: Zhang Mutou (樟木头), Changping (常平), and Huangjiang (黄江).

Humen is a town located in Dongguan, which is known as “China’s Town of Women’s Apparel“. If you are importing fashion clothing from China, Humen is a good choice because the clothing’s design is consistent with European and US design.

Mold is another advantageous product of Dongguan, with the main products being machinery hardware molds, such as auto spare parts molds. This cluster is mainly located in Chang’an Town (长安镇).

6. Zhongshan City (中山)

hongshan City is home to multiple industrial clusters, each located in specialized manufacturing towns with a unique economic feature called “One Industry in One Town”. These towns are known for producing specific products and are recognized as leading manufacturers in their respective industries.

Below are some examples of manufacturing towns and their specialties:

Guzhen (古镇)Town: China’s Lighting Capital for LED lighting, indoor lighting, and more.
Dachong Town (大涌镇) & Shaxi Town (沙溪镇): mahogany furniture.
Dongfeng Town (东凤镇): electric household appliances.
Xiaolan Town(小榄镇): locks and hardware, as well as electronic acoustics products.
Shaxi Town (沙溪镇): casual wear.

7. Foshan City (佛山)

Foshan is a major manufacturing hub in the Pearl River Delta, ranking third in size. Its primary industries include kids’ clothing, household appliances, furniture, ceramics, stainless steel products, electronics, and communications.

Foshan is home to China’s largest kid’s clothing manufacturing base. Clothing suppliers congregate in Chancheng District (禅城区), offering a wide range of products from babywear to children’s clothing.

Shunde District (顺德区), one of the “Four Little Tigers in Guangdong,” is home to most furniture suppliers. Whether you’re looking for traditional Chinese or European palace style furniture, you’ll find a supplier in Shunde.

Shunde is also renowned for small electric appliances, earning its title as “China’s capital of small appliances.” Products include electric fans, air conditioners, microwave ovens, water heaters, and more. While I previously discussed Cixi City’s electric appliance cluster in Zhejiang Province, there are notable differences between the two. For example, Shunde is home to both large and small-scale factories, including famous Chinese brands and middle and small-scale factories. In contrast, Cixi lacks well-known brands and mostly engages in OEM business. Additionally, products manufactured in Shunde generally have higher quality and technology than those made in Cixi.

Foshan is the largest and most important ceramics manufacturing base in China, with suppliers located in Shiwan (石湾镇). This area boasts around 500 ceramic manufacturers, many of which have incorporated foreign techniques to enhance their designs and quality.

8. Toy Manufacturing in Shantou City (汕头)-Chenghai Toy Cluster

Shantou City is known for manufacturing sweaters, knitted underwear, toys, loungewear, plastic materials, and printing and packing equipment.

If you’re interested in importing toys from China, Chenghai(澄海) is the perfect place to visit. It is known as the “world’s capital of toys” and is home to numerous toys trading companies and factories that specialize in remote-controlled toys, stuffed toys, and educational toys.

Chaonan District (潮南区) and Chaoyang District (潮阳区) are where you’ll find the majority of knitted underwear and loungewear manufacturing. In particular, there are thousands of factories that offer a variety of unique underwear products.

9. Jieyang City (揭阳)- Stainless Steel Products

Jieyang City, known as “China’s manufacture base of hardware”, is home to a thriving stainless steel products industry. The factories are primarily located in Rongcheng District (榕城区), Dongshan District (东山区), and Jiedong Town (揭东县), and they produce a wide variety of products including kitchen fittings, cooking utensils, tableware, and locksets. These products are known for their high quality and are usually sold by English-speaking salespersons, making them highly professional in the export business.

In comparison, Chao’a Town (潮安县) is home to many small factories that do not have English-speaking salespersons. This makes communication with foreign customers difficult, and they typically work with domestic trading companies. While their prices may be lower, the quality of their products is generally lower than those from Jieyang.

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