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How to Get to China and Yiwu: Flights and Trains

2026-10-27CeleryNOVEL HOME GOODS

How to Get to China and Yiwu: Flights and Trains

How to Get to China and Yiwu: Flights and Trains

This page is written to be used on the day, not read as background. It covers the four ways into Yiwu — Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Yiwu itself — the ground connections from each, the first hour after landing, the market, where to sleep, and how to leave with your samples and your tax refund. It assumes you already know whether you need a visa: the 30-day visa-free and 240-hour transit rules are in our separate guides (30-day entry, 240-hour transit).

Which airport should you fly into?

Fly to the airport near the factories you want to see. Yiwu sits in Zhejiang, close to Shanghai. The factories you may also want are in two belts far apart: the Yangtze River Delta around Shanghai (Zhejiang, Jiangsu) and the Pearl River Delta around Guangzhou (Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan, Zhongshan).

1. Yangtze Delta factories plus the Yiwu market → Shanghai Pudong (PVG). To Yiwu: the airport's long-distance coach leaves at 17:40 and 18:50, takes about 4.5 hours, costs ¥200, and ends at the Yiwu International Trade City coach station. Other way: Metro Line 2 to Hongqiao (about 90–95 minutes, change at Guanglan Road), then a high-speed train (about 1 h 20 min to 2 h 10 min), about 4 hours door to door. Best for home goods, hardware, textiles and a first trip; factories in Yiwu, Ningbo, Yongkang and Suzhou.

2. Pearl River Delta factories, then Yiwu → Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN). To Yiwu: direct high-speed trains from Guangzhou South, one pair a day, started on 1 July 2026. G3017/G3020 leaves Guangzhou South at 06:18 and reaches Yiwu at 14:52, about 8 h 34 min; the return G3018/G3019 leaves Yiwu at 15:16 and reaches Guangzhou South at 23:18, about 8 h 02 min. Miss the outbound and you wait a day; second class about ¥600–750 — check the day's schedule and fare on 12306. From the airport to Guangzhou South: the intercity link takes about 31 minutes (Guangdong Provincial Department of Transport); the metro takes about an hour. Direct CAN–YIW flights take about 2 hours but are few, and the coach is a long ride. Best for electronics, appliances, lighting and hardware from Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan and Zhongshan.

3. Yiwu only, short trip → Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH), or Yiwu (YIW). From HGH: coach from the Transportation Centre, 1F, 08:45–21:40, 18 departures, ¥72, about 100 minutes (confirm on the airport website); or Metro Line 19 to Hangzhou East, then 30–45 minutes by train. From YIW: 15–20 minutes by taxi; bus Y102 runs 06:00–17:30, ¥1.5; international and regional destinations are limited (Hong Kong included).

4. Both belts → an open-jaw ticket. Fly into PVG and out of CAN, or the other way round, with Yiwu in the middle.

If you are only going to Yiwu, Hangzhou is the least tiring. If you are visiting factories, the factory address picks the airport.

Which route gets you from each airport to Yiwu?

Every airport gives you two ways in: one that goes straight to the market, and one that changes transport on the way. Which one wins depends on your landing hour, your luggage and your budget. Times are approximate; confirm on 12306 or the airport website on the day.

Shanghai Pudong (PVG): the coach first, or the metro and the train?

Route A — the coach, with no changes.

  1. After baggage and customs, follow the "Long-distance bus / 长途客运" signs to the ticket point by T2 (10–15 minutes on foot).
  2. Buy a ticket to 义乌国际商贸客运中心 with your passport. Departures at 17:40 and 18:50, ¥200.
  3. The coach takes about 4.5 hours and ends at the coach station at the edge of the market.
  4. To the hotel: taxi 5–15 minutes (about ¥15–25), or walk 10–20 minutes.

Route B — metro, then high-speed train.

  1. Metro Line 2 to Hongqiao railway station: about 90–95 minutes, one change at Guanglan Road, about ¥8.
  2. Buy a second-class ticket at Hongqiao. Trains to Yiwu take 1 h 20 min to 2 h 10 min; G253 leaves at 16:00 and reaches Yiwu at 17:20.
  3. From Yiwu station to the market: taxi 20–30 minutes (about ¥25–45), or a local bus.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH): why is the coach the answer?

In daylight the coach is the only direct way in, and the fastest one. The airport bus to Hangzhou East railway station runs only at 23:50 and 01:50, so a daytime "train first" plan means finding your own way to the station.

Route A — the coach, the main route.

  1. Follow "Airport Bus / 机场巴士" to the Transportation Centre on 1F (5–8 minutes on foot).
  2. Buy at the counter with your passport: ¥72, 18 departures between 08:45 and 21:40 — 08:45, 09:25, 10:05, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15, 12:55, 13:40, 14:25, 15:10, 15:50, 16:35, 17:20, 18:05, 18:50, 19:40, 20:30, 21:40.
  3. The coach takes about 100 minutes to 义乌国际商贸城客运中心, at the market.
  4. Questions on the day: +86 571-86662519.

Route B — taxi or metro to Hangzhou East, then the train.

  1. There is no daytime airport bus to Hangzhou East. Take a taxi, or ask at the information desk which metro line to use; we have no official source for that line or its journey time, so treat it as "ask on the day".
  2. From Hangzhou East: G7379 at 06:42 reaches Yiwu at 07:23 — 41 minutes, the fastest train of the day. C4283 (09:09), C4285 (14:50) and C4287 (18:02) take about 1 hour to 1 h 19 min.
  3. From Yiwu station to the market: taxi 20–30 minutes (about ¥25–45).

Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN): the flight, or the train that takes a day?

Route A — the direct flight.

  1. Yiwu Airport's winter 2026–27 schedule includes Guangzhou, so there is a direct CAN–YIW flight, about 2 hours in the air. Flights are not hourly: confirm the day's schedule with the airport or on 0579-96555.
  2. Bag drop closes 30 minutes before departure and boarding 15 minutes before.
  3. From Yiwu Airport to the market: taxi 15–20 minutes (about ¥25–40); bus Y102 costs ¥1.5.

Route B — intercity to Guangzhou South, then the train.

  1. Follow "Intercity / 城际" to the airport station. The train to 番禺 (Pangyu), next to Guangzhou South, takes about 31 minutes.
  2. Walk or transfer to Guangzhou South, about 10 minutes.
  3. G3017/G3020 leaves Guangzhou South at 06:18 and reaches Yiwu at 14:52: 8 h 34 min, one pair a day. The return is G3018/G3019: Yiwu 15:16 → Guangzhou South 23:18, about 8 h 02 min. Miss the outbound and you wait a day.
  4. From Yiwu station to the market: taxi 20–30 minutes (about ¥25–45).

Which three rules cover all three airports?

We do not book tickets, and we do not run airport pickups. We can meet you at the market or the warehouse if you book ahead — see how to visit us.

What do you do in the first hour after landing?

Do these in order.

  1. Immigration. Have your passport, onward ticket and hotel address ready. Fingerprints are collected at major ports.
  2. Baggage. Check the belt screen; oversized samples may come out on a separate belt.
  3. Customs. If you carry samples, brochures or goods to show suppliers, you are carrying "goods, samples or advertising materials" and you must declare them. Take the red channel and fill the form. You can pre-fill it in the WeChat or Alipay "customs passenger service" mini-program, or at npc.chinaport.gov.cn (GACC Announcement No. 43 of 2025, checked 27 October 2026). The green channel is only for travellers with nothing to declare.
  4. Cash. Change only what you need for the first day. City banks give better rates.
  5. SIM card. Buy a local SIM at the airport with your passport. China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom all have counters.
  6. Payment apps. Install Alipay and WeChat, link an international card, finish identity verification. Do it at the airport, not in a taxi.
  7. Maps and translation. Install Amap (Gaode) and a translation app. Google Maps is unreliable in mainland China.
  8. Transport. Use the official taxi queue or the DiDi app. Ignore drivers who walk up to you inside the terminal.
  9. Receipt. Tell your supplier you have landed, and keep the taxi receipt in case you leave something in the car.

How do you get from the airport or station to the market?

All four routes end at the market. What changes is the time and the price.

From Shanghai Pudong (PVG).

  1. After baggage and customs, follow the "Long-distance bus / 长途客运" signs to the T2-side ticket point at Wuzhou North Road and Africa Street (10–15 minutes on foot).
  2. Buy a ticket to 义乌国际商贸客运中心. Departures at 17:40 and 18:50, ¥200. Show your passport.
  3. The coach takes about 4.5 hours and ends at the station at the edge of the market.
  4. To the hotel: taxi 5–15 minutes (about ¥15–25), or walk 10–20 minutes. Show the Chinese hotel name.

If you land after 16:00: Metro Line 2 to Hongqiao (about 90–95 minutes, change at Guanglan Road, about ¥8), high-speed train to Yiwu (about 1 h 20 min to 2 h 10 min, ¥100–160), then taxi 20–30 minutes (¥25–45).

From Hangzhou Xiaoshan (HGH).

  1. Follow "Airport Bus / 机场巴士" to the Transportation Centre, 1F northwest (5–8 minutes).
  2. Buy at the counter with your passport: ¥72, 18 departures between 08:45 and 21:40.
  3. The coach takes about 100 minutes to 义乌国际商贸客运中心.

From Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN).

  1. Follow "Intercity / 城际" to the airport station and take the train to 番禺站 (Pangyu), next to Guangzhou South: 31 minutes.
  2. Walk or transfer to Guangzhou South (about 10 minutes).
  3. High-speed train to Yiwu: about 8 h 34 min (G3017/G3020, 06:18 from Guangzhou South), second class about ¥600–750. Or fly CAN–YIW, about 2 hours.
  4. From Yiwu station: taxi 20–30 minutes (¥25–45).

From Yiwu Railway Station to the market.

  1. Follow "Taxi / 出租车" to the official queue: 20–30 minutes, ¥25–45. Show 义乌国际商贸城一区.
  2. DiDi: set the station's ride-hailing point as pickup and 义乌国际商贸城一区 as destination. Same time, same fare.
  3. Bus: the stop in front of the station has routes toward 国际商贸城, 30–40 minutes, ¥1–2. Check the stop sign or Amap for the route number.
  4. With only 10 minutes: taxi or DiDi.

Taxi card. Show this to the driver:

``` 请带我去义乌国际商贸城一区。 请带我去义乌国际商贸城五区。 ```

What are the market's hours, and which district do you start in?

Most booths open around 08:30 and close between 17:00 and 17:30. Sunday afternoon is quiet. Confirm at the information desk.

Districts.

Inside. Enter at the district that matches your category. Booth numbers start with the floor: 1F-1234 is the first floor. Districts 1–5 are linked by indoor corridors. Walking from District 1 to District 5 is about 2.5 km, 35–50 minutes. Some halls run electric carts — ask at the information desk, because not every hall has them. With 10 minutes, stay in the hall you are in and ask staff for the nearest exit. With 30 minutes, take the central corridor to the target district; a taxi between district gates takes 5–10 minutes.

How to walk it without losing a day. Start in the district that matches your main category. Walk one aisle, shortlist three to five booths, and ask for a card and a price at your quantity before you move on. Send your list to your agent the day before, so the route is planned. If you want us to walk it with you, book through our sourcing service in Yiwu.

Photos and samples. Ask before you photograph a booth. For a sample, ask three things: the wholesale price at your quantity, the carton quantity, and the earliest delivery date.

Where should you sleep?

Futian is a street in Yiwu, not Shenzhen. The choice is the market area or the city centre.

Booking. Search "Yiwu International Trade City" on Trip.com or Booking.com and filter by walking distance to the halls. International platforms take foreign cards. Some small local hotels take local payment only, so confirm before you book.

What do you set up before you fly?

Five things: cash, payment apps, a bank card, a phone plan and a VPN.

Cash. Budget about ¥300–500 a day for meals, taxis and small purchases, plus a buffer: a 5-day trip is roughly ¥1,500–2,500, a 10-day trip ¥3,000–5,000 (ranges; cards cover hotels). Change money at the airport for day one only, because airport rates are worse than city banks. Withdraw from an ATM showing UnionPay, Visa or Mastercard; the limit per withdrawal is often ¥3,000 (Shanghai Municipal Government, checked 27 October 2026). Ask for a mix of ¥100, ¥50 and ¥10 notes: taxis and small booths struggle to change a ¥100 note, and some refuse it early in the day.

Alipay and WeChat Pay. Both link foreign cards without a Chinese bank account. In Alipay: Me → Bank Cards → Add. In WeChat: Me → Services → Wallet → Cards → Add. You need your passport for verification; approval usually takes minutes to a day. WeChat's own guide lists the passport as one of six accepted ID types and says an overseas phone number is enough for the SMS code (WeChat Help, checked 27 October 2026). Fees: a transaction of ¥200 or less is normally exempt, and above ¥200 a 3% fee may apply (WeChat Pay/Tenpay, 15 January 2026; Shanghai Municipal Government, checked 27 October 2026). Limits: up to US$5,000 per transaction and US$50,000 per year on linked foreign cards (Shanghai Municipal Government, checked 27 October 2026). The app shows your actual limit.

Bank cards. They work at international hotels, chain restaurants and big malls. At market booths, small shops and many taxis they often fail. A terminal may ask for your passport. Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee, often 1–3%, plus its own exchange rate; check before you travel.

Phone and data. Buy a SIM in the arrivals hall with your passport; counters usually run from early morning to late evening (confirm on arrival). Tourist plans are commonly ¥50–150 for 7–30 days with a data allowance; prices vary. An eSIM skips the queue and keeps your home number active, but it gives you no Chinese number, and you need a Chinese number for some bookings, registrations and QR codes. Top up at a convenience store or in the carrier's app.

Power. China is 220V/50Hz. Sockets take Type I (three angled pins) and Type A (two flat pins). Dual-voltage chargers (100–240V) need only a plug adapter. A 110V-only appliance needs a transformer, not just an adapter. Buy the adapter before you fly, or at any convenience store in Yiwu.

Network. In mainland China, Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and some other overseas services do not open directly. If you need them, set up a VPN before you travel, choose a compliant tool yourself, and test it at home. Test the tools your business runs on too: email, video calls, cloud storage and the chat app you use with customers. International roaming on your home SIM is another route that does not need a VPN. Do this at home, not on your first morning in Yiwu.

How do you leave with your tax refund and your samples?

You need the goods, the refund form and a customs stamp before check-in.

Tax refund. A foreign visitor who stays in China no more than 183 days in a row can claim a refund on goods bought at tax-refund shops. As of 27 October 2026 the conditions are: at least ¥200 spent in the same shop on the same day; goods not used; departure within 90 days of purchase; goods carried out in person or in checked baggage. The refund rate is 11% for goods with 13% VAT and 8% for goods with 9% VAT, minus the agency's fee. Cash refunds are capped at ¥20,000, and above that you are paid by bank transfer (Jiangxi Tax Service, Q&A on departure tax refund, February 2026, checked 27 October 2026). You show the goods, the form, the invoice and your passport to customs before check-in, then claim at the refund counter inside the departure area.

As of September 2026, Yiwu has 48 tax-refund shops, 30 of them offering "instant refund". Since 1 July 2026 the process is paperless, and the instant-refund exit deadline is 28 days. Since 1 September 2026 you can finish the refund at any departure port in China (Yiwu Municipal Government, 18 September 2026, checked 27 October 2026). Instant refund needs a credit-card pre-authorisation; leave later than the agreed date and the prepaid amount can be charged back.

Samples in your luggage. Declare them on arrival in the red channel, and keep the commercial invoice or proforma with the goods. On the way out, the samples you take home are exports. If they are valuable, ask your supplier for an invoice with a low sample value and keep it with the goods. Spare lithium batteries and power banks go in the cabin, never in checked baggage.

Which five mistakes do first-time buyers make?

These five cost first-time buyers the most time and money.

  1. Booking a late landing into Pudong. The last direct coach is 18:50.
  2. Taking an unlicensed taxi. Use the official queue or DiDi; the "cheap" car outside arrivals is where the meter "breaks".
  3. Arriving at the market at 17:00. Booths close, and you spend the evening in the hotel.
  4. Buying without a booth card and a carton quantity. You will not find the booth again, and you cannot compare prices.
  5. Forgetting the customs stamp on the tax-refund form. Without it, the refund counter cannot pay.

When do you not need to fly at all?

Skip the flight when:

Do-this checklist

  1. Decide the airport by your factory list: Yangtze Delta → PVG; Pearl River Delta → CAN; Yiwu only → HGH or YIW.
  2. If landing at PVG after 16:00, book a Shanghai hotel or a car in advance.
  3. If landing at CAN, allow about 8 h 34 min for the train to Yiwu and check 12306; at HGH, aim to land before 19:00 for the coach.
  4. Save the Chinese address of your hotel and the market, and screenshot the taxi card.
  5. Pre-fill the customs declaration if you carry samples.
  6. Buy the SIM and set up Alipay/WeChat at the airport.
  7. Install Amap and a translation app before leaving home.
  8. Take the official taxi queue or DiDi, never a terminal tout.
  9. Keep every taxi receipt.
  10. Arrive at the market at 08:30 on your first full day.
  11. Take a map and note booth numbers; shortlist before comparing.
  12. Ask for carton quantity with every price.
  13. Keep tax-refund invoices, forms and goods together.
  14. Show goods to customs before check-in on departure.
  15. Weigh your bags before the airport; batteries in the cabin.

Sources

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