Your first 24 hours in China can make or break the whole trip. You’ll land, clear the airport, and head straight into a maze of halls, meet-ups, and factory chats—often with jet lag as a co-pilot. This guide gives you a field-tested playbook to hit the ground running at the Canton Fair (Guangzhou), the hardware hive in Shenzhen, and showroom circuits in Shanghai: WeChat etiquette that keeps deals moving, QR payments and transport basics, a translation workflow that saves face, and a dead-simple data setup that just works.
Pre-Trip Setup (15 Minutes That Save Hours)
- WeChat first. Choose a professional handle, add a crisp headshot, job title, and a one-line value prop (“U.S. importer—kitchenware, annual volume 50k+ units”). Create your personal QR and save it to Photos for quick sharing.
- Bilingual micro-intro. Drop a 2–3 sentence company intro in English + simplified Chinese in your Notes app. You’ll paste it after every new add.
- Calendar sanity. Add China Standard Time to your phone’s world clock; invite buyers/suppliers directly from your calendar so you both see time-zone math.
- Files that travel. Prebuild product spec templates (CSV or Google Sheet) with columns for material, dimensions, MOQ, lead time, Incoterms, unit price, sample cost, and warranty.
- Offline maps & venue pins. Save airport–hotel–venue routes plus nearest metro stations and coffee spots. Tag your hall entrances at Canton Fair—those buildings are huge.
- Translation stack. Keep a camera-OCR app handy for packaging, signage, and menus; add a favorites list of technical terms you’ll reuse.
Instant Connectivity That Just Works (Skip Kiosks)
Your phone is your badge: boarding passes, ride apps, QR tickets, WeChat, and 2FA from your U.S. bank. The cleanest approach is an eSIM you install at home.
- How: Buy a plan → receive a QR code → Settings → Add eSIM → label it “CN-Data” → set as Mobile Data while you keep your U.S. SIM active for calls/SMS.
- Why: Land connected, share a live location with your driver, message suppliers immediately, and hotspot your laptop for quick quote edits.
Want a traveler-friendly option to compare plans and activate in minutes? Check Holafly’s esim for China.
Data Options at a Glance
| Option | Setup | Speed to First Message | Pros | Cons | Best For |
| U.S. carrier roaming pass | None | Instant | Familiar | Pricey daily caps, surprise bills | One short city stop |
| Airport physical SIM | 30–45 min | Medium | Local rate | Queue + SIM swap | Long single-city stay |
| Pocket Wi-Fi | Pickup/return | Medium | Shareable | Extra gadget/battery | Teams of 3–4 |
| eSIM (pre-install) | ~3 min | Instant | Keep U.S. number, hotspot, no kiosk | Needs eSIM phone | Most travelers |
Translation & Spec Capture Workflow
- Camera OCR your way through labels, compliance marks, and cartons. Drop translations into your spec sheet immediately.
- Units & tolerances: Convert cm ↔ inches on the spot and write tolerances (±) into the sheet.
- Photo discipline: One product = one album. Shoot front/back, ports, screws/brackets, power labels, packaging, and a hand-for-scale shot.
- Deal breakers in bold: Voltage, plug type, safety marks, warranty, and spare parts policy—put them at the top of every note.
QR Payments, Transport & Receipts
- QR is king. You’ll see QR codes for WeChat Pay/Alipay everywhere—from taxis to coffee. Many international cards now work in these wallets, but always carry small cash as a fallback, and expect hotels and larger shops to accept cards.
- Taxis & rides: Use official taxi ranks or recognized ride apps; screenshot the car plate and share your trip in WeChat with a colleague.
- Receipts: Ask for a proper invoice (fapiao) at hotels and restaurants you’ll expense. Keep digital copies in a shared drive titled by city_date_vendor for later audits.
City Playbooks for Buyers
Guangzhou — The Canton Fair Home Base
- Navigation: The complex is vast; map your first two booths per hall the night before.
- Timing: Hit high-priority booths early morning; lines grow as the day warms.
- Lunch strategy: Eat before noon near quieter entrances; queues spike fast.
- Evenings: Reserve dinner near the metro to dodge long taxi waits.
Shenzhen — Hardware in High Gear
- Huaqiangbei: Ground zero for components and prototyping. Expect to bargain for small quantities; for volume, move talks to a quieter shop office.
- Factory days: Bring safety shoes and a clean polo; photos of processes are sometimes limited—ask first.
- Samples: Ship consolidated samples to your hotel or a forwarder; label each item clearly to avoid mystery boxes back home.
Shanghai — Showrooms & Client Dinners
- Route: Bundle showrooms by neighborhood (Jing’an, Xuhui).
- Etiquette: If you’re hosted, accept the first toast with a sip; keep the table conversation easy and focused on partnership.
- Transfers: The maglev/airport express handily beats road traffic during rush.
Compliance & Digital Hygiene (No Drama, Please)
- Respect house rules. Some venues restrict filming; signage will say so.
- Network common sense: Prefer mobile data for logins; if you must use Wi-Fi, limit it to non-sensitive browsing.
- Backups: Sync photos/docs to the cloud nightly; keep a local folder in case hotel Wi-Fi stutters.
- QR survival kit: Screenshot all tickets, passes, and reservations—underground stations don’t always love your bars.
Packing Grid: Business-Lite, Trade-Show Strong
| Item | Why it earns space |
| Lightweight blazer + breathable shirts | Look sharp in meetings, stay cool on show floors |
| Comfortable shoes (black/white) | 10k-step days, polished enough for dinner |
| Slim crossbody or daypack | Hands free; keep passport/phone front-side |
| 10,000 mAh power bank + short cables | WeChat + maps + photos = battery melt |
| Universal adapter + multi-USB charger | Hotels vary; charge everything at once |
| Badge lanyard + card sleeve | Faster hall entries, fewer pocket digs |
| Sample bag + folding scale | Don’t guess on weight before shipping |
| Travel-size sanitizer & tissues | Trade-show musts |
A 24-Hour Flow That Works (Sample)
- 07:30 Hotel breakfast, inbox sweep, confirm first three booths.
- 09:00–12:00 Priority vendors; capture specs, photos, next steps in one sheet per product.
- 12:00–13:00 Early lunch, logistics check, messages to afternoon contacts.
- 13:00–16:00 Secondary booths + sample arrangements; lock follow-up call slots.
- 18:30 Supplier dinner or founders’ meet-up; send recap notes before you crash.
The Takeaway
Doing business in China rewards travelers who arrive ready to talk and ready to move. Line up your WeChat presence, build a clean translation/spec pipeline, understand how QR payments and rides work, and make your data a solved problem before boarding. With that stack in place—plus a quick eSIM activation via Holafly’s esim for China—the first day stops feeling like survival and starts feeling like momentum. Deals don’t wait; neither should your connectivity.
