Philippines to Foshan: 2.5–3 h nonstop to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), 48 minutes by road to Lecong, a visa is required in advance.
- Flight
- 2.5–3 h nonstop
- Entry
- a visa is required in advance
- Transfer
- 48 min from CAN
- Visit
- Three days
- Guide day
- USD 150 / day
- Pickup
- USD 149
Sourcing trip · Asia
Philippines to Foshan: a three-hour flight and a documentation-heavy order
Manila flies nonstop to Guangzhou and Shenzhen in under three hours. The flight is short; the paperwork is long. Philippine buyers usually work through a local importer, and BPS or ICC documentation decides what can be sold.
- Flight
- 2.5–3 hNonstop
- Entry
- Visa requiredApply before booking flights
- Allow
- Three daysin Foshan
- Airport pickup
- $149Credited back within 6 months
Philippines to Foshan: 2.5–3 h nonstop to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), 48 minutes by road to Lecong, a visa is required in advance.
- Flight
- 2.5–3 h nonstop
- Entry
- a visa is required in advance
- Transfer
- 48 min
- Visit
- Three days
- Guide day
- USD 150 / day
- Pickup
- USD 149
Getting here
Schedules change with the season — confirm the operating carrier before booking. The airport code is the part that stays put.
Entry rules for Filipino travellers
Visa required before travel. Apply for an M (business) or L (tourist) visa at a Chinese visa application centre before booking. Allow about four working days plus appointment time.
Philippine passports need a visa before travel.
- Without a visa
- None — apply in advance
- On what basis
- Visa required before travel
- Visa on arrival
- No — port visas only for urgent business, with an invitation
- Airside transit
- Under 24 h, no visa if you stay airside
CarryReturn ticket · Hotel booking · Approved invitation · Appointment confirmation
Waivers were extended repeatedly through 2025–2026 and several expire on 31 December 2026. Confirm the current term with the Chinese embassy before paying for flights.
Airport pickup, $149 — refunded when you order
- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhongshan
- Drop at your hotel — or straight to a showroom if you land early, with parking and tolls settled
On a 21:05 landing the transfer reaches Lecong about an hour later — enough daylight for one showroom.
Example vehicles; the exact car is confirmed the day before. Photos: Wikimedia Commons — Dinkun Chen CC BY-SA 4.0, CC0 — not our vehicles.
A paid service, not a free transfer: one arrival, one vehicle, one drop-off. Parking included; tolls at cost. The credit is valid for six months from your arrival date.
Landing, then the transfer
Foshan has no international airport. The gateway you pick decides how much of your first day survives the landing.
Do not plan on the Hong Kong ferry. The Shunde Port crossing stopped on 16 July 2026 and has not restarted. Any itinerary built on that ferry is already broken.
The days on the ground
Three days covers one or two categories. Add a day for cabinetry. Appointments are booked before you land, and each evening you get a written recap of what you saw and what is still open.
- Day 1
Land and start
Land in the morning, transfer, and take two Lecong showrooms before dinner
- Day 2
Longjiang factories
Longjiang factories for upholstery, frames and materials
- Day 3
Samples and out
Custom work and samples, then the airport or an extra category
Field noteMalls open around 09:00 and shut at 18:00. Nothing is open in the evening, so plan the day backwards from six.琳琳聊家具, Xiaohongshu
Field noteCollect the best price at each shop, go home, then compare the shops against the trade fair before committing. The gap is worth the extra week.木子的家（硬装中）, Xiaohongshu
Where the days are actually spent
Upholstery is where showroom prices and factory prices diverge most, so both ends are worth seeing.
Lecong 乐从
Where the trip starts: room-set showrooms, a hundred options before lunch, prices you can argue with.
Longjiang 龙江
Upholstery and sofa factories, plus the material markets behind them. Where a showroom price gets explained.
Where to stay
The hotel is a routing decision before it is a comfort decision.
Sofitel Foshan 佛山罗浮宫索菲特酒店
Inside the Louvre furniture complex. You can walk from the lobby to the malls, which removes the daily commute that eats a sourcing trip.
Marco Polo Lingnan Tiandi 佛山岭南天地马哥孛罗酒店
evening walks · guests
Days Inn by Wyndham Foshan Shijilian 戴斯温德姆酒店(佛山世纪莲体育中心店)
2 km from the malls · parking
Straight-line distance from the Lecong furniture anchor. Ratings: Google Places and Amap, 31 Oct 2026.
Where to eat
After 18:30 the malls go quiet. These three are where the evening actually happens.
Ratings and average spend from Amap, retrieved 2026-10-31. Hours and closures change — confirm before booking a table for guests.
What Filipino buyers get caught on
- 01The Philippines applies 12% VAT on import plus duty by commodity code — one of the higher VAT rates in the region.
- 02BPS certification or an ICC clearance is required for many regulated products. Confirm the scope before production, because testing cannot be arranged at the port.
- 03220 V, Type A and B. The flat-pin pattern, not the EU round pin.
- 04Manila is the port, and congestion can add days. Build a buffer into the delivery date rather than assuming the sailing time is the whole story.
- 05Retail buyers need a stable finish across a run. Ask for the colour and sheen to be held constant, in writing.
Practical specification checks, not certification advice. Confirm current requirements with your importer or testing body.
Importing into the Philippines
The showroom quote stops at the factory gate. These are the numbers that follow it.
- Import VAT
- 12% standard rate on import
- Plug / voltage
- Type A / B · 220 V
- Main port
- Manila
- Ocean transit
- 7–11 days
- Currency
- PHP
- Working language
- Filipino, English
Check the current rate with your broker before you price the order — these figures drift.
Trip cost, before any furniture
| Line | Planning figure |
|---|---|
| Flights | PHP 55,000–90,000 return on the Manila nonstop |
| Hotel | Lecong or Chancheng, 4-star, PHP 5,500–9,500 per night |
| Airport pickup | USD 149 from Guangzhou or Shenzhen, credited against your fee if you order within six months |
| Duty and VAT | Duty by commodity code plus 12% VAT, payable on import |
Planning figures, not a quotation.
Questions Filipino buyers ask
How long is the flight from the Philippines to Foshan?
About two and a half to three hours nonstop from Manila to Guangzhou or Shenzhen, then roughly an hour by road.
Do Philippine passports need a visa for China?
Yes. Apply for an M or L visa before booking.
What is BPS or ICC?
The Bureau of Product Standards certificate or the Import Commodity Clearance. Many regulated goods need one before they can be sold.
Is port congestion a real risk?
Yes. Build a buffer into the delivery date rather than assuming the sailing time is the whole transit.
How many days do I need?
Three: one in Lecong, one at the factories, one for samples and paperwork.
Elsewhere in Asia
Same continent, different import file. Three more routes worth comparing before you book.
Keep planning
Send your list before you book the flight
Share quantities, rooms, budget and your travel month. We come back with a route, a supplier shortlist and an honest answer on whether the trip is worth making.
Trade rules, duty rates and certification scope change without notice. Confirm the current requirements for your product and entry date with a licensed customs broker before committing to a deposit.