China is divided into over twenty provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two special administrative regions. Manufacturing industries vary from province to province, and Guangdong is one of the most industrially developed provinces. What types of factories are in Guangdong Province, China?
Guangdong Province in China
Guangdong is a coastal province in South China. It is one of the wealthiest and most populated provinces in the PRC. Guangdong is the main manufacturing and trading hub; the Maritime Silk Road route started from Guangzhou, its capital. The province borders Hong Kong and Macau, the only special administrative regions in China. Guangdong accounts for approximately 11% of the total economic output of the PRC.
The key manufacturing areas in Guangdong are:
- Guangzhou
- Zhongshan
- Dongguan
- Shenzhen
- Shantou
- Foshan
- Jieyang
- Yunfu
- Huizhou.
Guangdong is the second most industrially diverse region in China; there are more than 20 types of industrial clusters in Guangdong Province.
You should be aware of how vast the Guangdong Province is – over 126 million people inhabit almost 180,000 km2. The province is divided into prefectures (21), counties (121), and townships (urban or rural; over 1,600).
How to transport goods from Guangdong Province?
The most popular method of shipping goods from China is by sea. Sea freight is low compared to rail or air transport. Transportation by containership from China to Europe or the US takes several weeks.
Products from Guangdong Province are mainly exported via the ports of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Each of these ports is in the top ten busiest seaports in the world.
Factories in Guangdong Province, China
Textiles and clothes from Guangzhou
Guangzhou (广州）is the capital of the Guangdong Province and the third-largest city in China. Guangzhou is a highly industrially developed city; many districts specialize in a specific group of products. We have written about textiles from Guangzhou before.
- Baiyun (白云) is a clothing and accessories hub. There are many sweatshops, jewelry, handbags, cosmetics, and make-up accessories factories. What’s more, in the district, you can find watches (wall clocks, wristwatches, alarm clocks) and LED lamps.
- Yuexiu (越秀) is known for its daily used articles: pillows, wall clocks, interior decorations, and car parts.
- Panyu (番禺) specializes in jewelry, kart, and video game equipment.
- Huadu (花都) is a production area of leather and leather goods – bags, belts, gloves, cases, and much more (especially Shiling 狮岭). Another popular product in Huadu is synthetic textiles.
- Zengcheng (增城) is by far the best place to source denim – here are the largest suppliers of trousers, shirts, jackets, overalls, and other denim fashion pieces. See our article about jeans from Zengcheng.
Machinery, lamps, and electronics from Zhongshan
The city of Zhongshan (中山) is very industrially diverse. Each district specializes in certain products.
- Guzhen (古镇) is a major LED manufacturing and lighting hub in China. Read our article on China’s Lighting Capital, Guzhen.
- Dongfeng (东凤) is one of China’s main electrical household appliances production areas.
- Dachong (大涌) and Shaxi (沙溪) are known for mahogany furniture. In addition, Shaxi produces a lot of casual clothes.
- Xiaolan (小榄) specializes in hardware, locks, and electronic acoustic products.
Electronics from Dongguan in Guangdong Province
Dongguan (东莞) is one of the most important industrial cities in the Pearl River Delta. The largest electrical and electronic equipment manufacturers cluster is in Dongguan (Qingxi 清溪). There are also many producers of other products in the city.
- Plastic is produced in Changping (常平), Zhangmutou (樟木头), and Huangjiang (黄江).
- Humen (虎门) is a production area of fashionable women’s clothing.
- Molds for production lines and machinery are manufactured in Chang’an (长安).
Electronics from Shenzhen
Shenzhen (深圳) is a huge city located near Hong Kong. The most popular products from Shenzhen are electronics, from the cheapest ones to state-of-the-art technology. See where electronics factories are in Shenzhen. However, the city has much more to offer.
- Luohu (罗湖) specializes in silver jewelry and women’s clothing.
- Bao’an (宝安) is a production hub of spare parts for phones, parts of electronics production lines (welding machines, feeders), LEDs, cameras, USB drivers. You can also source power sources such as variable-frequency power sources and voltage stabilizers from Bao’an.
- Futian (福田) is the main manufacturing area of mobile phones and their parts, integrated circuits, intercoms, and digital accessories (adapters, memory cards, card readers, external memory drives). In addition, you can find here suppliers of painting and coating products.
- Nanshan (南山) specializes in women’s clothing and commodities.
- Dafen (大芬) is a famous “painting village.” There are many studios where 70% of the world’s paintings are produced, both original pieces and reproductions.
- Henggang (横岗) is the best place to source high-quality correction glasses.
Toys from Shantou in Guangdong Province
Shantou (汕头) is the main toy production area in China. We have written about the toy industry in Shantou before.
- Chenghai (澄海) is known as the “world’s capital of toys.” You can source remote-controlled toys, educational toys, stuffed toys, and many more.
- In Chaonan (潮南) and Chaoyang (潮阳), knitwear and loungewear are mainly produced. There are many underwear factories in Chaoyang.
Furniture, clothes, and electronics from Foshan
Foshan (佛山) is the third-largest industrial hub in the Pearl River Delta. Read about Foshan furniture manufacturers in detail.
- Chancheng (禅城) is one of the main production areas of products for babies and children, like clothes and strollers.
- Shunde (顺德) specializes in manufacturing furniture, both Chinese and modern. In addition, there are many manufacturers of small household appliances.
- Shiwan (石湾) is an important production hub of ceramics, for example, cookware and tiles.
- Xiqiao (西樵) is known for processing textiles: textile printing and dyeing.
Steel from Jieyang in Guangdong Province
Jieyang (揭阳) is a steel manufacturing region and gained the title of “China’s hardware capital.” Stainless steel products (fittings, fixtures, cutlery, kitchen accessories) are found in areas such as Rongcheng (榕城), Dongshan (东山), and Jiedong (揭东).
Stones from Yunfu
Yunfu (云浮) is a well-known stone processing base in China, especially pyrite, marble, and granite. Yuncheng (云城) is a stone and building material industrial base, one of the four main ones in China.
Car parts and guitars from Huizhou in Guangdong Province
Huizhou (惠阳) is located in the Pearl River Delta and borders Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan. Huizhou is export-oriented. There are industrial areas in the city that support petrochemical, electronic (around 1/6 of Chinese production and 1/8 of the world of mobile phones), and automotive industries. Moreover, Huizhou is the main area of guitar manufacture. It is estimated that 25% of all guitars in the world come from here.
Factories in Guangdong Province, China – in a nutshell
Guangdong is the most populated Chinese province (the size is close to the population of Japan). In this province, some of the key investment hubs are located: Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Shantou, known as Special Economic Zones. 1/3 of Chinese exports come from Guangdong.
The main industrial hubs in Guangdong Province are Guangzhou (textiles), Shenzhen (electronics), Zhongshan (lighting systems), Dongguan (clothing and plastics), Foshan (furniture), Shantou (toys), Jieyang (steel products), Yunfu (building materials) and Huizhou (guitars and vehicle parts).
If you are looking for products in a specific industry, you should find out where the products are manufactured in China. Next, you can plan a business trip to the given region and visit chosen manufacturers. You should attend trade fairs, especially the Canton Fair in spring and autumn if you have the opportunity. Guangdong Province’s industrial output is one of the most diversified in China.
Read our guides on import from China:
Importing machinery from China to the EU
Importing electronics from China to the EU
Importing furniture from China to the US
Import of furniture from China to the European Union
Importing LED lighting from China to the EU