The Wenzhou Eyewear Expo is one of the most important trade events for eyewear buyers sourcing from China. If you’re planning your first trip to Wenzhou, or if you’ve been before and want to optimize your approach, this guide covers the practical information you need.
Basic Information
Dates: May 8-10, 2026
Venue: Wenzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, Ouhai District, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
Hours: Generally 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily (confirm with the official expo organizers as hours can vary year to year)
Who Attends: Manufacturers, trading companies, material suppliers, component suppliers, and international buyers from North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East
Getting to Wenzhou
By Air: Wenzhou Longwan International Airport (WNZ) has direct connections from major Chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. International buyers typically connect through Shanghai (Pudong or Hongqiao), Hong Kong, or Guangzhou. The airport is approximately 40 to 50 minutes from the convention center by taxi or Didi.
By High-Speed Rail: Wenzhou has two high-speed rail stations: Wenzhou Station (on the main line) and Wenzhou South Station (the high-speed rail hub). Both are well connected to Shanghai (approximately two hours), Hangzhou (approximately one hour), and other major cities. Wenzhou South Station is slightly further from the convention center than the main station but serves more routes.
Getting Around Wenzhou: Didi is the standard option for getting around the city. Download the app and set up payment before you arrive in China — the international version accepts foreign credit cards. Standard taxis are also widely available. Public transit exists but is less practical if you’re moving between the expo venue, factories, and your hotel multiple times per day.
Where to Stay
Hotels in the Ouhai district — where both the expo venue and most of the eyewear manufacturing cluster are located — fill up during expo week. Book well in advance. The convention center area has several business hotels within walking distance or a short Didi ride.
Business hotels in the Ouhai district range from budget options at around $50-80 USD per night to mid-range business hotels at $100-180 USD. International chains with Ouhai locations include options like Hilton and local Chinese brands with comparable quality. Check recent reviews — the hotel landscape changes faster than published guides can track.
What to Expect at the Expo
The Wenzhou Eyewear Expo is a large show. Exhibitors include manufacturers (like us, in previous years), trading companies, and material and component suppliers. The breakdown matters: manufacturers can offer factory pricing and flexible OEM discussions; trading companies add a margin and have less flexibility on customization; material suppliers are relevant if you’re doing your own manufacturing.
Many booths at a Chinese trade show are run by trading companies presenting themselves as manufacturers. The way to tell the difference is to ask specific production questions — about the capacity of a specific machine, about the reject rate on a recent production run, about what happens when you request a material that’s not in their standard catalog. Genuine manufacturers can answer these questions. Trading companies usually can’t.
The first day of any trade show is the most productive for initial contacts. The third day tends to be slower and is a good time for follow-up conversations with suppliers you’ve already identified.
Combining the Expo With Factory Visits
The eyewear manufacturing cluster in Wenzhou’s Ouhai district is concentrated enough that combining expo attendance with factory visits is genuinely practical. Most of the significant manufacturers are within 15 to 30 minutes of the convention center.
A common approach for experienced sourcing buyers is to spend the first morning at the expo to get a broad market overview, then shift to factory visits for the remainder of the trip. The expo floor gives you context — current market pricing, trending styles, what competitors are buying — and the factory visit gives you the actual sourcing relationship.
Our factory is approximately 15 minutes from the convention center in the Guoxi High-Tech Eyewear Industrial Park. We’re available for visits on May 8, 9, and 10. Visits should be scheduled in advance — contact us to book a slot.
Practical Tips for First-Time Visitors to China
Payment: China is largely cashless, but the main payment systems (Alipay and WeChat Pay) require a Chinese bank account or phone number. For short-term visitors, Alipay now has a version that accepts international credit cards. Alternatively, carry some Chinese yuan (RMB) in cash for situations where mobile payment isn’t practical. Major hotels accept international credit cards.
Internet access: Most international social media and search services are blocked in China. A VPN helps if you need access to Gmail, Google Maps, or other Western services. Download offline maps for Wenzhou before you leave home. Baidu Maps works well within China and doesn’t require a VPN.
Communication: WeChat is the standard messaging platform for business communication in China. Set up a WeChat account before your trip. WhatsApp works with a VPN or in some international hotels. Our team communicates on WhatsApp for international buyers and on WeChat for buyers who prefer it.
Business cards: Bring them. Exchanging business cards is standard practice at trade shows. Present and receive cards with both hands — it’s a small gesture that signals familiarity with local business culture.
Language: English is spoken at the expo, particularly by suppliers with international trade experience. Outside the expo, English proficiency varies. Having key addresses and information saved in Chinese characters on your phone is useful for directing taxi drivers.
Schedule Your Factory Visit
If you’re coming to Wenzhou for the expo, we’d like to meet you. Our factory visit slots for expo week fill up — contact us in advance to secure a time.
- WhatsApp: +86 152 5809 0639 (Mimi)
- Email: mimi@wenzhouframe.com
Tell us your preferred day (May 8, 9, or 10), what product categories you’re interested in, and your rough order quantities. We’ll confirm a time and send you the factory address.
Wenzhouframe — Guoxi High-Tech Eyewear Industrial Park, Ouhai District, Wenzhou. Established 2015. OEM/ODM manufacturer for optical frames, sunglasses, reading glasses, and blue light glasses.
