Field notes, published twice a week.
Practical notes on visiting, moving through and doing business in the Yangtze Delta. A new guide and a new FAQ every Tuesday and Friday.
Entry & visas
China’s visa-free and transit policies change. Check the latest rules for your nationality before booking flights, and carry a printed hotel address and itinerary. We issue invitation letters when a visa application needs one.
Airport to city
Pudong (PVG) is about 45–60 minutes from Jing’an by car; Hongqiao (SHA) is 25–40 minutes. Both are connected by metro, but a driver meets you inside arrivals and is the calmer choice after a long flight.
Paying in China
Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted almost everywhere; international cards can be linked. Keep a little cash for small stalls. Your guide can help set up payment apps before the first purchase.
Factory-visit etiquette
Bring a passport, business cards and a printed specification. Ask before photographing a production line. Build 30–45 minutes of buffer between plants — gates, registration and a cup of tea take longer than the map suggests.
When to come
Spring and autumn are the easiest months for both sightseeing and factory visits. Summer is hot and wet; winter is cold and clear. Trade fairs and Chinese New Year move hotel rates and traffic — check the calendar before fixing dates.
The Yiwu run
Yiwu is about 2 hours 45 minutes by car from Shanghai, or 1 hour 30 minutes by high-speed rail to Yiwu Station. The market is enormous: decide which districts you need before you arrive, and bring a sourcing list, not a vague idea.
New travel guide and FAQ every Tuesday and Friday. · FAQ
Yangtze Delta guide
Shanghai is the gateway. Within three hours there are gardens, canals, ports, textile mills, auto plants and the world’s largest small-commodities market.
Learn more →02Production bases
Ten manufacturing and sourcing clusters we visit for guests, with the industries each is known for and the honest travel time from Shanghai.
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