Field notes · Foshan districts
Lecong or Longjiang? Where Chinese homeowners browse — and where they actually order
Use Lecong to compare finished furniture and Longjiang to order custom sofas and beds. See appointments, lead times, MOQs and checks for overseas buyers.
In short
- 01
Buyers describe Lecong as the place to “see the world” and Longjiang, 20 minutes’ drive away, as “the day we actually ordered”.
- 02
Lecong’s import hall (brands such as Poliform, Baxter, Fendi Casa) needs an appointment; one buyer reports RMB 200,000 minimum for non-stock orders and about eight months lead time.
- 03
Independent showrooms reported 10–15 day delivery on stock designs, and package deals such as eight pieces for RMB 18,000 or 29,000.
- 04
In Longjiang, one buyer’s factory wrote which leather on which part and the frame timber into the order — the moment browsing turns into a specification.
- 05
Readers’ top warnings: book showrooms ahead and don’t order just before Chinese New Year.
Lecong is the place to compare finished furniture, styles and prices; Longjiang is the place to specify and order sofas, beds and upholstery from factory showrooms. The towns are roughly 15–20 minutes apart in light traffic, so most serious buying trips use both: shortlist in Lecong, then put materials, dimensions and lead times in writing in Longjiang.
How we wrote this (updated with comment threads): we read two detailed trip diaries by Chinese homeowners on Xiaohongshu (23 September 2026) and paraphrased what they reported. Shop names are theirs; lead times and minimums are what they were told and will vary.
Lecong is Foshan’s retail furniture strip; Longjiang is its manufacturing town, strongest in upholstery. Lecong’s malls run along one road — from the import halls to trade-style markets — and they show you everything. Longjiang is where many of the sofas and beds are made, and where factory showrooms sell directly.
Range, originals and high minimums. A buyer from Chongqing spent four days on soft furnishings. The import floor of Lecong’s largest mall had brand stores and multi-brand galleries — Poliform, Baxter, Fendi Casa, Armani/Casa — but required an appointment, did not allow photos, and quoted non-stock orders from about RMB 200,000 with roughly eight months’ lead time. Their verdict: worth it if you have never seen the originals; skippable if you have.
Independent showrooms nearby were more practical: original and adapted mid-century designs, delivery in 10–15 days on stock, room for a discount, and some with fixed packages (eight pieces for RMB 18,000 or 29,000 at one store).
Because the factory can tell you what is inside the piece — and write it down. A Shenzhen buyer’s two-day diary is explicit: day one in Lecong to build a sense of the market, day two in Longjiang where the real ordering happened. At the last showroom of the trip, the factory specified which leather went on which part of each sofa and which timber went into the frame, and put all of it into the order. It also had its own tanning workshop. The buyer placed almost all the large pieces there and estimates a clear saving against comparable quality in the big Lecong mall.
The Lecong-to-Longjiang shift is not really about geography. It is the step from “how much is this?” to “what exactly is this made of?” That second question is the one overseas buyers must ask for every piece, because they will not be there when it is upholstered. A Longjiang factory that writes leather grade, frame timber and foam density into the order is giving you something you can inspect against.
| Lecong | Longjiang | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Retail malls and markets along one road | Manufacturing town, factory showrooms |
| Best for | Seeing styles, originals and the price range | Sofas, beds and upholstery ordered to specification |
| Price logic | Retail tags, room for negotiation | Factory pricing tied to materials |
| Reported lead times | 10–15 days stock; ~8 months for import orders | Made to order, typically weeks |
| Watch out for | Look-alikes of unknown build; tenant sellers | Showroom samples better than production; ask for the workshop |
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The replies turn the diaries into a checklist.
- Book ahead. Under the two-day diary, a reader asks whether the Longjiang showrooms need appointments; the author booked every one and recommends it, through each showroom’s official social account.
- Don’t order just before Chinese New Year. Under the four-day diary, the most-liked comment warns about a shop that took payment and never shipped; a reply says they worried about ordering before the holiday in case sellers disappeared, and another found their Foshan shop gone after the break.
- “Is it really cheaper?” The diary author’s answer to a reader: the good-looking pieces are not cheap; the advantage is the range. Another reader’s three-word summary of the long post: “not cheap at all.”
- Stock, made-to-order and access vary. Many Longjiang factories have showrooms, but stock and walk-in access differ by supplier. Book ahead so the right sales or technical person is present, then put availability and lead time in writing.
A timing rule the diaries imply
Most factories stop for two to four weeks around Chinese New Year, and orders placed in the six weeks before it are the ones most likely to slip. If your deadline is in March or April, order by November or early December — or plan production to start after the holiday.
If you visit, we plan one day in Lecong to calibrate and the rest in Longjiang and the factory districts to order, with the route approved before you land. If you do not, we do the same on your behalf: benchmark in Lecong, quote against one specification in Longjiang and elsewhere, and inspect every piece with photos and video before you pay the balance.
If a buying trip is not practical, we recommend Arcaya Living, which brings the range to you: curated collections by style, a style quiz, and a whole-home service that covers design direction, furniture, decor, cabinetry, production follow-up, delivery and installation.
Whole-home furnishing with Arcaya · Take the style quiz · Living-room collection
FAQ
Should I buy furniture in Lecong or Longjiang?
Look in Lecong, order in Longjiang if your list is mostly sofas, beds and upholstery. Lecong shows you the range and prices; Longjiang factories can specify and build to order.
How far is Longjiang from Lecong?
Roughly 15–20 minutes by car in light traffic; allow longer at busy times. Many buyers stay in Longjiang on the second night so they can start factory visits early.
Do I need an appointment for the Lecong import hall?
Buyers report that the import floor requires an appointment, arranged by phone or mini-program, and that photos are not allowed.
How long does custom furniture from Longjiang take?
It varies by factory and season. Stock designs can ship in one to two weeks; made-to-order upholstery usually takes several weeks. Get the date in writing.
Sources
- Xiaohongshu note by @一颗细味鸭🍄, “专门飞了趟佛山！四天三夜沉浸式逛软装实录” (17 Jan 2026, 2,445 likes). View on Xiaohongshu
- Xiaohongshu note by @小咪包, “2天1夜佛山买家具全记录｜到底值得去吗？” (20 Aug 2026, 182 likes). View on Xiaohongshu
