Where is Chaozhou?
A prefecture-level city in Guangdong province, at the easternmost tip of Guangdong.
Fujian is to the north, Jieyang to the west and Shantou to the south. It is about 30 minutes from Shantou high-speed rail station and about 3 hours from Guangzhou South.
In one line: Chaozhou is a place of origin — where ceramics (and also stainless steel) are made.
What does Chaozhou make?
Two things, both strong.
| What | In detail |
|---|---|
| Ceramics | Household ceramics (bowls, plates, cups), art ceramics, sanitaryware (toilets, washbasins), smart bathroom products |
| Stainless steel | In Caitang, Chao'an ("China's home town of stainless steel products"): cutlery, cookware, kitchen tools |
The two are not the same weight: ceramics is the main industry (output value about 70 billion yuan), stainless steel is a niche cluster (Caitang town).
The scale of Chaozhou ceramics (official data)
This is the hardest set of numbers Chaozhou has (Chaozhou municipal government, 2026-11-02):
| Data | Value |
|---|---|
| Gross industrial output of the ceramics industry | about 70 billion yuan |
| Ceramics enterprises above designated size | 510 |
| Annual output of sanitaryware | about 40% of the national total |
| Annual output of smart toilets | over 30% of the national total |
| Products exported to | more than 160 countries and regions |
| 2025 ceramics export value | 11.395 billion yuan, 48.4% of the city's total exports (a record high two years running) |
⚠️ How much weight this carries: "sanitaryware is 40% of the national total" is the official line. Chaozhou is the national number one in sanitaryware.
Why Chaozhou?
Three things.
① A thousand years of ceramics The "hundred-kiln village" at Bijia Mountain in the Song dynasty, and the Fengxi ceramics industry in the Ming and Qing — this is not a new production area; it has been handed down for hundreds of years.
② The full range Household, art, building, sanitary and smart-home ceramics — all five categories are here.
③ The "exhibition in front, factory behind" model Chaozhou is close to the Canton Fair (Guangzhou), so foreign buyers finish the fair and come straight to the production area to see factories. That is Chaozhou's unique advantage.
⚠️ One key thing to understand: Chaozhou is also strong in "advanced materials" — Sanhuan Group's ceramic ferrules, alumina substrates and semiconductor packaging bases hold more than 50% of the global market. This is not ordinary ceramics; it is high-end industrial ceramics.
Town by town and district by district, what does Chaozhou make where?
Three places, each with its own role.
| Place | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fengxi district | Household ceramics, art ceramics (the historic core) | Chaozhou municipal government |
| Chao'an district | Sanitaryware (toilets, washbasins) | Same |
| Caitang town, Chao'an | Stainless steel products ("China's home town of stainless steel products") | Same |
〔Could not confirm: the specific role of Chaozhou's other districts and counties (Xiangqiao, Raoping) — no publicly available government document on town-level division of labour was found.〕
How complete is Chaozhou's supporting chain?
Four parts.
| Supporting part | In detail |
|---|---|
| Ceramics production | From raw material (china clay) to forming, firing and decoration — the whole chain |
| Stainless steel | Caitang town: stamping, deep drawing, polishing, welding |
| Testing | Ceramics testing (lead and cadmium release, strength); the specific laboratories are to be confirmed |
| Logistics | Shantou port (Chaozhou is close to Shantou), or Shenzhen Yantian |
One key reminder: most Chaozhou goods leave through Shantou port or Shenzhen Yantian. When you negotiate FOB, ask clearly whether it is "FOB Shantou" or "FOB Shenzhen".
What should you watch for in Chaozhou ceramics certification?
For ceramics exports, certification is more complicated than for small appliances.
| Market | What is needed |
|---|---|
| EU | Food contact materials (EU 1935/2004) + lead and cadmium release (ceramics-specific) |
| US | FDA (food contact) + California Proposition 65 (lead and cadmium) |
| General export | A lead and cadmium release test report (this is the hard requirement for ceramics) |
⚠️ The single most important point: "lead and cadmium release" for ceramics is mandatory testing — lead and cadmium in the glaze migrate into food. Without that report, the goods cannot leave.
How do you get to Chaozhou?
| From | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou | High-speed rail to Chaoshan Station | about 3 hours |
| Shenzhen | High-speed rail to Chaoshan Station | about 2 hours |
| Shantou | Taxi / intercity | about 30–50 minutes |
| Yiwu | High-speed rail to Chaoshan Station (change at Guangzhou/Shenzhen) | about 7–8 hours |
〔To be verified: specific trains and durations — no timetable is printed here; check 12306 on the day〕
A note on the station name: Chaoshan Station is the high-speed rail station (between Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang); it is about 30 minutes' drive from Chaozhou city centre.
Sources (2026-11-03)
| Item | Nature | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramics industry output value about 70 billion yuan | ✅ Official | Chaozhou municipal government (2026-11-02) | 2026-11-03 |
| 510 ceramics enterprises above designated size | ✅ Official | Same | 2026-11-03 |
| Sanitaryware about 40% of the national total | ✅ Official | Same | 2026-11-03 |
| Smart toilets over 30% of the national total | ✅ Official | Same | 2026-11-03 |
| 2025 ceramics exports 11.395 billion yuan, 48.4% of city exports | ✅ Official | Same | 2026-11-03 |
| Products exported to more than 160 countries and regions | ✅ Official | Same | 2026-11-03 |
| Sanhuan Group ceramic ferrules and others over 50% global share | ✅ Official | Same | 2026-11-03 |
| Caitang, Chao'an is "China's home town of stainless steel products" | ✅ Official (media report of a government event) | China Development Network (2025-04) | 2026-11-03 |
| The Fengxi / Chao'an / Caitang division of labour | ⚠️ Industry observation | Combined official and public sources | 2026-11-03 |
| The division of labour in other districts and counties | ❌ Could not confirm | No publicly available government document | 2026-11-03 |
| Travel times to Chaozhou | ⚠️ Estimate | Estimated from geography | 2026-11-03 |
Official link: https://www.chaozhou.gov.cn/ywdt/czyw/content/post_4011367.html