Top 43 Building Materials Market in China: the Ultimate Guide 2022

Do you have a construction project in the works? A commercial building or something personal like renovation for you home? You’ll need somewhere to get all the materials you need. A building materials market that offers good quality for a good price and can offer you a wide variety of choices to suit your needs. You can get your building materials from China.

I. What Makes China the Best Place to Import Building Materials?

1. Low Costs in Manufacturing

Because there are many factories and manufacturers of different products, you can find a building material supplier that fits your budget.

2. Wide Range in Products

China can provide you with all kinds of building materials- from tiles and wood flooring, to fixtures and furniture, and so much more.

3. Quality Compliance and Standard

Manufacturers have to pass strict standards and regulations to be certified for things like their quality management system, work safety, and environmental friendliness. Look for manufacturers with these certifications.

II. How to Find Reliable Building Materials Manufacturers in China?

1. Where to Find

2. We suggest NOT:

• Always look for the lowest price

Remember, you get what you pay for, and paying a little more for better quality and a longer lifespan of products is always worth it.

• Fail to clarify product details

One difficulty with purchasing products from China is the language barrier. It can easily lead to misunderstandings or miscommunication. This can result in you not getting the product you want. So it’s always best to clarify product details like size/ dimensions, product material, price, availability of warranty, etc., before pushing through with a transaction so that there will be no problems.

• Show distrust towards your supplier

Your supplier will be providing you with the products you want and need. If you want your transactions to go smoothly and for a business relationship to last, you need to build trust with your supplier.

III. Top 43 China Building Materials Market List

1. Kitchen Cabinets & Wardrobe/ Furniture Market

The top furniture market was formed in the 1980s in Guangdong, Lecong. You can find the second largest furniture market in Chengdu, Sichuan. This market has been developing since 1995, with the help of the Chengdu Furniture Fair. The third largest is in Likou, Jiangsu, which features the International Furniture city which is the largest furniture wholesale market in East China.

① Foshan

❖ Louvre Furniture Mall

• Market Overview: Louvre has two of its own home furniture brands- Louvre VITA for European and American style and Louvre CLASSIC for modern, post-modern, or classical and neo-classical. Louvre is the most famous furniture market in China and the largest in Lecong.

• Price Positioning(Level): High-end

• What you can buy: Home furniture and accessories, office furniture, sanitray ware

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6:30PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: 325国道乐从路段罗浮宫国际家具博览中心, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong Province, China.

• Tips:

1. Taking photos of the furniture in the mall is mostly prohibited.
2. The recommended travel from Foshan City to the mall is via taxi.
3. Book your accommodation in Foshan instead of in Guangzhou.

❖ Sunlink Furniture Market North Area

• Market Overview: This is the most popular furniture market location in Lecong. Aside from furniture, they offer customers like you great services like a shuttle bus, customer service center, and international trading service. You can find over 400 furniture brands here.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium – High end

• What you can buy: Office furniture, Living room and Bedroom furniture, Mahogany furniture, Home accessories

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: No.325 National Highway, Lecong, Shunde, Foshan, China.

• Tips:

1. Don’t be afraid to try and negotiate prices to save money.
2. This market is very accessible, located in the Lecong stretch.

❖ Sunlink Furniture Market South Area

• Market Overview: If you are looking for lower prices than Louvre and Sunlink North, Sunlink South is where you should get your furniture. They host a professional furniture show in March and September every year, gathering over 50,000 interior designers and suppliers.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-end

• What you can buy: Home furniture, Hotel furniture

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Xinlong Rd, No.325 National Highway, Lecong, Shunde, Foshan, China.

• Tips:

1. This area has the biggest selection of sofa and bed furniture.
2. The price difference between the North and South Sunlink areas are notable.

❖ Shunde Empire Furniture

• Market Overview: This is the first brand in the Lecong furniture market, having grown for over 21 years. Shunde is the capital of the China furniture industry. You can find four different furniture showrooms in Shunde – Royal, Noble, Modern, and Pricerite.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Home furniture, Hotel furniture and Home accessories

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Empire furniture city, 325 Highway(Lecong section), Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong, China.

• Tips:

1. You can find more brand chain stores.
2. Furniture style here is usually up to date.

❖ Lecong Red Star Macalline

• Market Overview: Macalline is a relatively new furniture market, but you can find over 2,000 furniture brands. If you have a design project that needs classic, modern, or minimalistic furniture designs, Macalline is where you should go!

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Home furniture, Hotel furniture, Office furniture, Kid’s furniture

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: 红星美凯龙 China, Foshan, Shunde District

• Tips:

1. Offers you American and European style furniture at a lower price than Louvre.
2. Bargaining here is easier and you can get 30%-60% off on the price tag.

❖ Easement Furniture City

• Market Overview: With over 100,000 square meters to explore, you can look through 30,000 square meters of high end furniture, or visit the 60,000 square meter Exhibition Center. It’s a comprehensive furniture market that also offers you services like consultation, translation, and after-sale services.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium

• What you can buy: Office furniture, Mahogany furniture, Sofas

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: 325 National Rd Side Rd, Lecong, Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong Province, China

• Tips:

1. This furniture market has many of the cheapest stores.
2. Styles of furniture you can find here are more traditional and a bit old.

② Dongguan

❖ Houjie International Furnishing City

• Market Overview: Houjie was established in 1996 and integrates other services like finance, operation, human resources, property management, loss prevention, and advertising. The shopping mall aims to help you create a five-star quality “international home.”

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium

• What you can buy: Office furniture, Civil furniture, Hotel furniture, Children’s furniture, Home accessories

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6:30PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Zhuyuan Rd, Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China

• Tips:

1. Because it’s located centrally, it’s easy to access this mall.
2. The mall occupies 30,000 square meters, divided into two floors.

❖ Hengfeng Furniture Exposition & Exhibition Center

• Market Overview: The company is involved in both the industries of furniture and commercial real estate. It’s strongly influenced by Houjie’s annual furniture fairs and targets both local and overseas markets.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium – High end

• What you can buy: Upholstered furniture, Living room furniture, Home accessories, Children’s furniture, Outdoor furniture, Mahogany and solid wood furniture, European and American furniture

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: S256 Xitou Section of Houjie, Provincial Highway, Dongguan

• Tips:

1. Hengfeng has four floors and many choices to explore.
2. The variety of choices can give you an idea of what style you want to achieve in your space

❖ Xingye Home Furnishings

• Market Overview: Xingye officially opened its doors in 2013. Here, you can find a one-stop-shop purchasing center for your large home furnishing projects. Hundreds of popular local and foreign furniture brands have settled here. 

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Metal furniture, Beds, Sofas, Neo-classical furniture, Solid wood furniture, Wood panel and sticker panel furniture, Rattan art, Chinese furniture, American furniture, European furniture, French palace furniture 

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: No. 66, Kangle Road, Furniture Avenue, Houjie Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China

• Tips:

1. You can find very chic and fancy styles and designs of furniture here.
2. Aside from shopping, Xingye has exhibitions and pavilions that you can explore.

③ Jiangsu

❖ Suzhou Furniture Exposition & Exhibition Center

• Market Overview: This center opened in 2005 and features four floors filled with fine furniture. Here, you can find both medium and high-end boutique furniture.

• Price Positioning(Level): High-end

• What you can buy: Modern and classic panel furniture, Sofas, Beds, Home accessories

• Open Hours: 9AM to 5:30PM (Monday-Friday), 9AM to 6PM (weekends and holidays)

• Address: 1300 Xiangcheng Avenue (South of Likou International Furnitur City)

• Tips:

1. The mall has over 200 furniture agents, so don’t be afraid to browse.
2. Luxury furniture is offered on the fourth floor, specializing in Chinese, European, and American style boutique furniture.

❖ Jinliyuan Furniture Exposition & Exhibition Center

• Market Overview: Jinliyuan is both a wholesale and retail center for high-quality furniture, so you can go there for both small and big projects.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium – High end

• What you can buy: New Chinese furniture, Italian modern minimalist furniture, Solid wood furniture, Office furniture, Suite furniture, Customized furniture

• Open Hours: 9AM to 5:30PM (Mondays to Fridays), 9AM to 6PM (weekends and holidays)

• Address: Yifu Rd, Xiangcheng, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

• Tips:

1. Aside from after-sales services, they also offer free shipping.
2. Their website can help you sort through their wide range of furniture, sorting by space, style, and category. 

❖ Huihailong Furniture Exposition & Exhibition Center

• Market Overview: Huihailong can offer you both wholesale and retail models. The shopping mall has over a hundred merchants and is located in the core area of Likou Furniture City.

• Price Positioning(Level): High-end

• What you can buy: Solid wood furniture, Panel furniture, European furniture, Pastoral suites, Dining room furniture, Living room furniture, Office furniture

• Open Hours: 8AM to 6PM, Mondays to Sundays

• Address: No. 1688 Xiangcheng Avenue, Xiangcheng District

• Tips:

1. They don’t offer minimalist style furniture, mostly American and European style furniture.
2. The area isn’t very large and is also an old furniture museum.

④ Zhejiang

❖ Hangzhou Huadong Furniture Market

• Market Overview: This market has gathered almost 1,000 well-known domestic and international furniture brands. They specialize in American and European styled furniture for high-end town houses.

• Price Positioning(Level): High-end

• What you can buy: Soft furniture, Panel and Solid wood furniture, Mahogany furniture, Glass furniture, Rattan furniture, Office furniture, American style furniture, European furniture

• Open Hours: 9AM – 5PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: 473 Qingjiang Rd, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

• Tips:

1. The market offers different furniture styles, including modern, American country, Nordic simplicity, and Italian post-modern.
2. The six different chain markets of Huadong have exhibits for high, medium, and low consumption.

❖ Hangzhou Oriental Furniture Market

• Market Overview: This market has exhibition halls scattered in its 5 floors. Here, you can appreciate and choose from different elegant and modern furniture in neatly arranged booths.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium – High end

• What you can buy: Mahogany furniture, Office furniture, Boutique furniture, Modern furniture

• Open Hours: 9AM – 5PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: 70 Qiutao North Road, Hangzhou

• Tips:

1. Each floor of the mall displays different furniture- Comprehensive section, “Redwood World”, “Office World”, and floors for modern style furniture.
2. The market is easy to access because it is located right at the junction of a commercial road.

❖ Anji Furniture Market

• Market Overview: This furniture market focuses mainly on manufacturing chairs, especially for use in your office. Currently they expanded to include a larger variety of other chairs and office furniture.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Office chairs, Swivel chairs, Gaming chairs, Upholstered chairs, Sofas, Accent chairs, Bar chairs

• Open Hours: 8AM – 5PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Tianhuangping Middle Rd, Anji County, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China

• Tips:

1. This market includes a lot of suppliers and manufacturers for different kinds of chairs, don’t be afraid to browse different stalls.
2. Because they focus mainly on chairs, higher quality is assured and this market can be suitable to supply bigger projects.

2. Door & Window Market

Sales of doors and windows in China are continually on the rise. That’s a good sign for you. Metal is the dominant material for windows, but plastic is on the rise. As for doors, wood remains the dominant material to use.

① Foshan

Dali, located north of downtown Foshan, is well-known in China for its aluminum extrusion industry. Companies here also research and produce silicon sealants.

❖ Huayi Decoration Materials Market

• Market Overview: This is the largest market offering building materials in China. If you need materials for decorating your house, this is the place to go. There are over 600 suppliers that can provide you with what you need.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium

• What you can buy: Wood and aluminum doors, Windows, Flooring materials, Wallpaper, Lighting and Electrical accessories, Kitchen cabinets, Ceiling materials, Stone, Plywood, Hardware

• Open Hours: 8:30AM – 12AM, 2PM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong Province, China

• Tips:

1. The market is divided into sections that display different products.
2. This market displays mid-range to high-end quality materials to fit your budget.

❖ Meiju International

• Market Overview: This market is connected with both the Canton Fair and Ceramics Fair for their product platform. They have a hyper-market style marketing center that will make your shopping experience more convenient and enjoyable.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium – High end

• What you can buy: Decorative building materials, Sanitary ware, Ceramics, Cabinets and Cupboards, Lighting, Jewelry, Home accessories

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Foshan Wugang Road, Meiju International Building Materials Center, Foshan, China

• Tips:

1. Aside from retail, they offer other services like e-commerce, interior design, and indoor and outdoor engineering.
2. Stalls are arranged in a grid like pattern and make it easy for you to get around.

② Shanghai

❖ Huaxin Aluminum Market

• Market Overview: This is a large-scale wholesale aluminum market. It’s been open for around five years and can provide you a lot of door and window aluminum products. It’s a one-stop shop for you window and door needs, for accessories and hardware too.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium end

• What you can buy: Aluminum doors and accessories, Aluminum windows and accessories, Silicone, Hardware, Handles, Window sashes

• Open Hours: /

• Address: No. 1189 Huateng Road, Huaxin Town, Qingpu

• Tips:

1. Huaxin is a one-stop shop when you need to install and accessorize aluminum doors and windows.
2. The competition among markets makes the prices of their products very cheap.

❖ Jiuxing Market

• Market Overview: The Jiuxing market focuses on selling building materials. It’s known as a sort of “commercial village”. The old market was demolished to make way for reconstruction and the development of a nine-star market.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium – High end

• What you can buy: Home building materials, Home furnishing materials

• Open Hours: 8AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: West Outer Ring Road, Minhang District, Shanghai

• Tips:

1. Reports say that the new Jiuxing market will open its doors by 2021.
2. The market will cover a total construction area of 1 million square meters.

3. Stone & Marble Market

China’s stone industry can be divided mainly into marble and granite decorative stone, stone carvings, and slate. The largest stone industry clusters exist mainly in Fujian Nan-an, Guangdong Yunfu, Shandong Laizhou, and SichuanYa’an. 

① Yunfu

❖ Yunfu International Stones Town

• Market Overview: This is located in Silao Town and Yunfu is a world-renowned stone procurement center. Their area includes exhibition centers, a stone processing area, boutiques, research and creative development center, and a comprehensive business area.

• Price Positioning(Level): Middle-High end

• What you can buy: Stone slabs, Stone accessories, Stone finished products

• Open Hours: /

• Address: 下白村, Yunshi Ave, Yuncheng District, Yunfu, Guangdong Province, China

• Tips:

1. Aside from stone display and trading, Yunfu also has product design, raw material, warehousing, and sale management.
2. Yunfu plans to accommodate over 3,000 stone companies.

② Fujian

❖ Minnan Building Material No. 1 Market

• Market Overview: This market is located in Shuitou Town, also known as “China Stone City”. Here, they have a trading area divided into “Slab City”, “Minnan Stone Block Market”, “Stone Ceramics Comprehensive City”, and “Stone Processing Zone”.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium

• What you can buy: Large stone slab products, Marble products, Craft stones, Stone plates

• Open Hours: /

• Address: Beside National Highway 324, Shuitou Center Street, Shuitou Town, Nan’an City, Fujian Province

• Tips:

1. This is one of the markets awarded a “Five-star Building Materials Market” title.
2. You can find over 1,000 processing plants and shops here, as well as more than 600 processing enterprises.

③ Shandong

❖ Laizhou International Stone City

• Market Overview: You can find it in the “Hometown of Chinese Stone”. This is considered one of the largest granite and marble production locations in China. The city has over 3,000 different stone enterprises.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-High end

• What you can buy: Mined stone blocks, Stone slabs, Stone carvings and special-shaped stones

• Open Hours: /

• Address: Baili Stone Corridor, Zhacun Town, Laizhou City, Shandong Province

• Tips:

1. Both large and small-scale processing plants and carving factories are located here.
2. The stone industry is the main industry of Shandong’s building materials industry.

4. Ceramic Tile Market

There are three main regions that are the base of China’s top-producing enterprises for ceramics tiles. These regions offer different advantages when it comes to their tiles, depending on their design specialty, types of tiles, and range of product grades which can fit different budgets.

① Foshan

❖ Nanzhuang Huaxia Ceramic Expo City

• Market Overview: You can find this market in the “Hometown of Chinese Ceramics”. It has marketing outlets that cover both local regions and over 100 countries worldwide.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-High end

• What you can buy: Ceramic products

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6:30PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Huaxia Ceramics Expo City, Nanzhuang Town, Chancheng District, Foshan City

• Tips:

1. The market covers around 1 million square meters with almost complete supporting facilities.
2. The areas in the expo city are divided into an exhibition center, trade and marketing area, warehousing and logistics area, catering and entertainment, as well as an R&D area.

❖ China Ceramics Industrial Headquarters Base

• Market Overview: The market is known as a “Global Procurement Center”, “Ceramic Economic Headquarters”, and “Famous Brand Core Base.” They have both local brands and foreign brands from Switzerland, Greece, UAE, and Italy.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Ceramics tiles, Ceramics building products, Sanitary ceramics

• Open Hours: 8:30AM – 5:30PM, Monday to Saturday

• Address: No. 68, Jihua West Road, Foshan City, Guangdong Province

• Tips:

1. The headquarters also disseminates information about ceramics culture and history.
2. Here there are marketing, management, service headquarters, R&D and design, and info center for the ceramic industry.

❖ Ceramics International Trading Center

• Market Overview: The center has more than 600 different enterprises in the ceramics industry. Its facilities include an exhibition area, trading area, storage centers, logistic centers, and comprehensive service areas. It strives to create a new ceramic industrial park.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium

• What you can buy: Antique tiles, Polished tiles, Mosaics, Exterior tiles, Art Brick, Bathroom accessories, Sanitary ware, Stone, Raw materials

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6:30PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: No.168 Jihua West Road, Chancheng District, Foshan City

• Tips:

1. The trading center is a one-stop shop for ceramics procurement.
2. It is also equipped with comprehensive service areas including banks, catering, and entertainment facilities.

❖ China Ceramics Market

• Market Overview: The market officially opened in 2002. It’s a five-story building that integrates a variety of ceramic products that also have its own international business services. You can find high-end ceramics and bathroom equipment here, including popular overseas brands.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-high level

• What you can buy: Stone tiles, Polished tiles, Glazed tiles, Exterior wall tiles, Art brick, Antique brick, Mosaic, Bathroom hardware, Sauna, Sanitary ware, Bathroom cabinets

• Open Hours: 9AM – 5:30PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: 2 Jiangwan 3rd Rd, Chancheng District, Foshan, Guangdong Province

• Tips:

1. The market has its own website (eccc.com.cn) where you can browse its products based on brand, material, etc.
2. It now has over 180 well-known brand exhibition halls that you can visit.

❖ CASA Ceramics and Sanitary Wares Mall

• Market Overview: This mall is very large-scale comprehensive trade procurement base for various architectural and sanitary ceramics. They also provide information exchange as well as international business services.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Building ceramics, Sanitary ceramics, Leisure ceramics, Bathroom and Water fixtures

• Open Hours: Monday to Sunday

• Address: Jihua 4th Rd, Chancheng District, Foshan 

• Tips:

1. You can find over 650 well-known ceramic sanitary ware brands.
2. This is a highly recommended market for ceramics and other building materials.

❖ Shiwan Property Ceramics Wholesale Market

• Market Overview: This market is located in the southern pottery capital of the country that has history that dates back to as early as the Ming Dynasty. There are over 1,233 shops and large warehouses in this market.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low end

• What you can buy: Architectural ceramics, Garden ceramics, Industrial ceramics, Daily-use ceramics, Art ceramics, Sanitary ware

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: Shagang Section, Middle Road, Shiwan Town, Foshan City, Guangdong

• Tips:

1. Shiwan is the center of ceramic tile production in Foshan.
2. The market operates direct sales, wholesale, retail, purchasing, and agency sales.

② Shanghai

❖ Evergrande Ceramic Building Materials Market

• Market Overview: This market was established in 1997 and is a large-scale comprehensive building materials market. 

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium

• What you can buy: Ceramic products, Sanitary ware, Wood products, Plumbing hardware, Furniture, Fabrics, Household appliances, Building materials

• Open Hours: 8AM – 5PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: 3298 Yanggao S Rd, Pudong, Shanghai

• Tips:

1. This is the most influential decorative building material market in Shanghai.
2. You can also find new green building materials here.

5. Bathroom Fittings Market

There are three main manufacturers for plumbing and bathroom hardware in China- Zheijang, Fujian, and Guangdong. Each base has their own major plumbing city.There are three main manufacturers for plumbing and bathroom hardware in China- Zheijang, Fujian, and Guangdong. Each base has their own major plumbing city.

① Foshan

❖ Foshan International Plumbing and Sanitary Ware City

• Market Overview: This market is very large, consisting of over 4 high-rise commercial complexes and 40 two-story markets that house over 1,500 shops. It’s located in Nazhuang, the “China’s No. 1 Ceramic Building Town.”

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium

• What you can buy: Plumbing products and Sanitary ware

• Open Hours: /

• Address: First Ring Road, Jihua West Road, Foshan City

• Tips:

1. This is a one-stop shop for plumbing and sanitary ware.
2. The market is arranged in a grid-like pattern, which makes it easy to navigate.

❖ CASA Ceramics and Sanitary Wares Mall

❖ China Ceramics Market

❖ China Ceramics Industrial Headquarters Base

❖ Ceramics International Trading Center

❖ Shiwan Property Ceramics Wholesale Market

② Fujian

❖ China Plumbing Park

• Market Overview: This market is located in Nan’an City, also known as the “Hometown of Plumbing Equipment”. Here, over 500 plumbing valve manufacturers support this market. This is currently the largest market for high-grade plumbing valves in China. 

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium

• What you can buy: Plumbing valves, Sanitary ware

• Open Hours: /

• Address: Fujian, Quanzhou, Nan’an, Provincial Highway 308

• Tips:

1. Over 200 companies have signed contracts to settle in China Plumbing Park.
2. Among them, five have been awarded with the title of “Famous Brands in China’s Sanitary Products Industry.”

③ Zhejiang

❖ Jiangnan Plumbing City

• Market Overview: The whole of Jiangnan village is like a large factory that specializes in manufacturing plumbing products. You can find plumbing products that cover a wide range of complete specifications and high quality.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium

• What you can buy: Plumbing tubes and hoses, Plumbing equipment

• Open Hours: Monday to Friday 9AM – 5PM, Saturday to Sunday 9AM – 6:30PM

• Address: Shunsun Middle Rd, Yuyao, Ningbo, Zhejiang

• Tips:

1. It’s also called “Lubu Town Jiangnan Plumbing City”.
2. Each household has its own small workshop for independent production and sales.

④ Jiangmen

❖ China Sanitary Wares City

• Market Overview: This market is located in Shuikou Town and was developed to support the and upgrade their plumbing industry. Their aim is to provide both local and foreign buyers and suppliers with product display, sales, exhibition, information exchange and other services.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium

• What you can buy: Bathroom faucets, Shower hardware and accessories, Ceramics, Sanitary ware, Plumbing hoses

• Open Hours: /

• Address: No. 39, Helong Road, Shuikou Town, Kaiping City, Guangdong Province

• Tips:

1. This is a large-scale one-stop-shop business platform for sanitary ware.
2. This is one of the major faucet production bases in China.

❖ Asian Kitchen & Bath Mall

• Market Overview: Here, you can find plumbing and a bathroom exhibition center, trading market, R&D center, product testing and inspection center, warehousing and logistics zone, as well as supporting services like hotels and leisure facilities.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium

• What you can buy: Plumbing and bathroom hardware, Sanitary ware and spare parts, Kitchen hardware

• Open Hours: /

• Address: 325国道, Heshan, Jiangmen, Guangdong Province

• Tips:

1. Over 300 merchants have settled in this market.
2. In the area, you can find over 4000 plumbing and sanitary hardware enterprises.

6. Lighting Market

China’s lighting market continues to grow and become a leader with producing and consuming lighting products. LED lights continue to gain popularity as due to the reduction of price and manufacturers receive optimal subsidy from the government.

① Zhongshan, Guangdong

Zhongshan is known as the “Lighting Capital of China” and serves as one of the main suppliers for lighting retailers. Around 75% of lamps and lanterns in Guangdong are purchased from the Guzhen factory.

❖ Times Lighting Square

• Market Overview: The building is 25 storeys tall and floors 1-9 are comprehensive and commercial-grade lighting retail. The 10th floor has a swimming pool, meeting rooms, gym, and offers you catering. The rest of the floors are a star-rated hotel.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Various lighting products

• Open Hours: 9AM – 7PM

• Address: No. 12, Xinxing Middle Road, Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City

• Tips:

1. Times Lighting Square is a good place to look around to see high-quality lighting and design used in its architecture.
2. Aside from lighting retail, Times Lighting Square also incorporates commercial real estate business.

❖ Star Alliance

• Market Overview: The construction area covers almost 360,000 square meters. Star alliance is an 11-story building that isn’t just a lighting store, but focuses on customer experience and lighting culture as well. It currently has a wide range of lighting products from over 400 domestic and foreign brands.

• Price Positioning(Level): High-end

• What you can buy: Lanterns, Home lighting, Commercial lighting, Engineering lighting, Light switches

• Open Hours: 9AM – 7PM

• Address: Zhongxing Road,Guzhen Town,Zhongshan City,Guangdong.PR,China

• Tips:

1. Star Alliance is also rated a AAA tourist attraction because of its stylish architecture and lighting.
2. Star Alliance provides a strong platform for agents in the lighting industry to trade.

❖ Century Lighting Square

• Market Overview: You can find Century Lighting Square in the “Lighting Street” of Guzhen Town. This mall-style lighting retail center has a wide coverage of different lighting products that provides a professional trading platform for the lighting industry.

• Price Positioning(Level): Middle to High-end

• What you can buy: Various lighting products

• Open Hours: /

• Address: 56 Xinxing Middle Road, Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City (opposite Gangdong Archway)

• Tips:

1. You’ll be able to browse over 11 storeys of lighting products in over 100 different shops.
2. There are 80 different merchants that operate here, and there are also leisure areas and places for you to rest aside from shopping.

❖ Dongfang Baishen Lighting Square

• Market Overview: Covering an area of 28000 square meters, the main building of Dongfang Baisheng Lighting Square consists of 26 floors with a total building area of 139900 square meters. It integrates accommodation, catering, entertainment and conference reception. The plaza hotel will be the first commercial concept hotel in China with the theme of “lighting culture”.

• Price Positioning(Level): Medium-High end

• What you can buy: Living room lights, Iron and crystal chandeliers, Landscape lights Dining lights, Landscape lights

• Open Hours: 9AM -8PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: No. 1 Zhongxing Avenue, Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City

• Tips:

1. Convenient transportation is available for you to reach the Baishen Lighting Square.
2. Aside from retail space, the 26 floors of the building also have complete facilities including a hotel, gym, and other leisure facilities.

❖ Huayi International Lighting Plaza

• Market Overview: Huayi Plaza is a commercial landmark in the “Lighting Capital of China.” Here, you can find over 300 lighting brands and there are six different lighting pavilions you can explore in the Plaza. The services in Huayi Lighting Plaza integrate wholesale, engineering and retail.

• Price Positioning(Level): High-end

• What you can buy: Crystal lighting products, Minimalist lighting, Custom lighting products, Chinese cultural lighting, European style luxury lighting products

• Open Hours: 10AM to 7PM

• Address: No. 38, Gangdong Road, Qijiang Road, Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City

• Tips:

1. The Plaza’s lighting products are divided into six different pavilions- the Crystal Art Museum, International Light Hall, Modern Minimalist Hall, High-end custom Museum, Chinese Culture Museum, and European Luxury Pavilion
2. You can avail of other services like R&D and after-sales.

② Foshan, Guangdong

❖ Shunde International Lighting City

• Market Overview: There are two buildings in this market- one for lighting, and the other for cabinets and home building materials. Their products are available for both retail and wholesale deals.

• Price Positioning(Level): Mid-level

• What you can buy: Lighting products, Kitchen cabinets

• Open Hours: 10AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: South One, Xingle Commercial City, Lecong Town, Shunde District, Foshan City

• Tips:

1. The market offers a wide range of lighting products that keep up with the current global trends.
2. Though the pricing is mid-range, the quality of their products is very good.

❖ Huayi Decoration Materials Market

❖ South China (International) Electro-opticalsource Lighting Market

• Market Overview: This market is strongly supported by the government. When it opened in Foshan, this became the largest electric light source and lighting store. The market offers both commercial lighting products and home lighting.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low end

• What you can buy: Electric light sources, LEDs, Home lighting, Landscape lighting

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: At the intersection of Guidan Road and New 325 National Road in Nanhai District, Foshan City

• Tips:

1. You can browse through over 1,800 shops that can offer over 400 well-known domestic and foreign brands.
2. The second phase of the market will focus on LED lighting, supporting logistics, and a high-end light source exhibition center.

③ Shanghai

❖ Shanghai Gansu Road Lighting Market

• Market Overview: This is a large-scale lighting market you can find in the center of Shanghai. Though the market’s main products are lamps and lanterns, it’s a professional market that brings together over 100 companies for lighting products.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium end

• What you can buy: Fancy lights, Crystal lights, Down lights, Grille lights, Wooden lights, Outdoor lighting

• Open Hours: 9AM – 6:30PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: No. 118 Gansu Road, Zhabei District, Shanghai

• Tips:

1. This market is known for having the most complete supporting facilities.
2. There is very convenient transportation for you to easily access the market.

④ Zhejiang

❖ Dongfang Lighting Great Market

• Market Overview: This is known as the “Star Market of Zhejiang Province.” You will be able to find around 1,100 stalls spread over 35,000 square meters. This is the largest professional lighting market in China.

• Price Positioning(Level): Low-Medium

• What you can buy: Lamps, Chandeliers, Spotlights

• Open Hours: 8AM – 5PM, Monday to Sunday

• Address: No. 92 Aidou Bridge, Wenzhou City District, Zhejiang Province

• Tips:

1. Of the products that you can find in this market, they cover styles that are novel, luxurious and elegant, as well as colorful and commercial.
2. Products from here are sold to over 20 provinces locally, and exported to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

IV. Considerations to Import Building Materials from China

1. Import Building Material License

This is issued by the national government, stating that the materials/ products being imported are authorized by the country of origin (China).

2. Major City and its Popular Products

① Foshan

• Casa Ceramics and Sanitary Wares Mall – architectural ceramics, sanitary ware and ceramics, water accessories
• China Ceramic City – ceramics wholesale market
• Huayi Decoration Materials City – doors, windows, lighting, wallpaper, renovation materials and services

② Guangzhou

• Anhua Decoration Material City – kitchen materials, lighting and plugs, sanitary wares, wall materials, windows
• Wuzhou Decoration World – decoration materials (one-stop-shop)

3. Quality Control Inspections

➤ This starts by building a good relationship with your supplier. Choose a supplier and brand that is already well-established.

➤ You can opt for contacting a sourcing agent who can help assure the quality of the product you order.

• Sourcing agents will be able to directly talk to a supplier, especially if you are from another country.
• They can do visual quality inspections of actual items before they are shipped to your country.

4. Government & Trade Laws

Each government has their own trade and import and export laws. These laws apply to almost any import, not just for building materials. So, before even ordering from a supplier, check your country’s trade laws to see if the material you want is even allowed into your country.

• What is the quantity of the product you want to order?
• Check codes and regulations like your country’s building code, fire code, energy codes, etc.

5. Request for Quotation (RFQ)

① Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)

This is the least number or amount that you will have to purchase for a supplier/ manufacturer to entertain your order.

③ Sample Pricing

A sample order usually comes attached with a sample price. Sometimes, suppliers will offer you sample products for free or for a fee.

④ Production Pricing

This is discussed between you and the seller. The production pricing differs depending on the number/ amount of items you want to order. Negotiation is possible here.

⑤ Shipping Method

• Regular post – This is best for smaller shipments and samples.

￭ Pros – economical

￭ Cons – Packages can get lost and are not easy to find

• Courier – In China, the popular companies are DHL, UPS, and FedEx

￭ Pros – Delivery is fast and reliable, you can track your package/s

￭ Cons – It is much more expensive than regular post

• Air freight – For larger orders going above 500kg. However, this is not for very heavy or very large products.

￭ Pros – Much cheaper than courier companies

￭Cons – Transit time depends on the schedule of airlines. You may have to handle customs and documentation on your own.

• Sea freight – For bulky and massive purchases

￭ Pros – Can be very economical (for large bulk orders)

￭ Cons – It can take a very long time (but if you’re prepared to wait, that’s good). You will have to take care of the logistics, documentation, and customs yourself.

6. Lead Time

V. How to Ship Your Building Materials from China?

China’s lighting market continues to grow and become a leader with producing and consuming lighting products. LED lights continue to gain popularity as due to the reduction of price and manufacturers receive optimal subsidy from the government.

1. Choose what you want to import.

Check if that material you want is allowed in your country through building codes, customs regulations and restrictions, etc.

2. Choose a manufacturer/ supplier for your product

• Clarify specifications for your products, sample pricing, minimum order quantity, etc.
• You may want to get a sourcing agent to help you from this step forward.

3. Choose the appropriate shipping method for your products

• Check your order quantity.
• How much is your budget?
• How long do you have to wait before your product arrives?
• Check your shipping documents (usually required for air and sea freight, not for courier)

✓ Import/ export license

✓ Inspection certificate

✓ Insurance certificate

✓ Product testing certificate

✓ Customs invoice

✓ Landing certificate

✓ Import declaration

✓ Sales Contract

4. Be responsible for logistics.

If you’re shipping through air or sea, remember you’re responsible for logistics. Where will your materials/ products go when they arrive in your country?

• Warehouse – remember additional fees and costs like trucking from the port warehouse to your area (delivery fees)
• Will you pick it up right from the airport or have it delivered again from there? (delivery fees)

VI. Benefits of Buying from Building Materials Wholesale Markets

VII. Challenges when Shopping from Building Materials Wholesale Market

1. Manufacturers have a booth in the market, that doesn’t mean they are reliable at all.

There are hundreds of booths in a market, you need to do research to check if the manufacturer is reliable. Check their client history, certifications, etc.

2. Product quality varies from different shops.

Not all shops offer the same quality. Don’t judge by the price, sometimes you can get good quality products for a cheap price.

3. Some market manufacturers do not speak English.

Because some manufacturers don’t speak English, there is a high chance of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Try to get help from a sourcing agent.

4. Some market suppliers do not accept foreign currencies, ONLY RMB.

This includes international credit cards. The best thing to do is to exchange your money when you arrive in China or to work with your trading company or sourcing agent for the exchange.

5. Some market suppliers do not have online website and cannot provide in-time online service.

Not all suppliers have a website for you to browse or place your order. You, or your trading company or sourcing agent, will have to go in person to the supplier’s office in China.

6. Products from market manufacturers may not be suitable for your country.

As previously mentioned, you have to check if the product you want to order is allowed in your country. Every country has their own restrictions and regulations for imports.

7. Some market suppliers do not ship or export to other countries.

Other suppliers only ship within China, that means you’ll have to handle shipping from China to your country, whether it’s through courier, air freight, or sea freight. Try to get in contact with a sourcing agent for this.

8. Product customization is almost impossible.

Because products are usually made in large quantities and manufacturers usually have specific equipment and processes to specialize in making one product, it’s almost impossible to customize a product unless you order a very large amount.

9. It is non-existent to providing overall design for your house or project.

Because wholesale market suppliers usually provide bulk orders of one product, you can’t go wholesale for smaller projects like your house. You will need to buy retail from different suppliers.

10. You need to stick to your home style and pay attention to the match when buying products from different shops.

Keep your desired theme/ style for your project in mind. You’ll probably be going to different shops to buy different products. Make sure they match and complement each other, even if they come from different shops.