China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) — Shanghai, Autumn

The China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) is one of the largest and most important furniture fairs in the world. It runs in two cities each year: Guangzhou in March and Shanghai in September.

The autumn session in Shanghai, 5–8 September 2026, takes place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai Hongqiao. For 2026 the announced exhibition area is around 210,000 m² with more than 1,200 Chinese and international brands. CIFF Shanghai focuses on design, brands, design innovation, modern consumer trends and furniture for home, office and outdoor spaces.

The fair covers a wide range of products and solutions for the furniture and interior industry: home and designer furniture, sofas, bedroom, living-room and dining-room furniture, office and commercial furniture, outdoor, home textiles and decor, sleep technology and smart-home solutions, furniture materials and components, as well as equipment and technology for furniture production.

CIFF Shanghai is organised across the NECC halls as a set of specialised pavilions. Before you travel, download the current hall plan from en.ciff-sh.com and mark the pavilions you need.

• Pavilion 1.1 — Urban Outdoor Furniture Exhibition: outdoor / street and garden furniture, outdoor sunshades (umbrellas, awnings, marquees), outdoor accessories and smart products, garden decorations, outdoor camping equipment.
• Pavilion 2.1 — Sofa Pavilion: leather, fabric, wooden and compact sofas; recliner sofas and massage chairs; lounge sofas and chairs; sofa accessories and materials.
• Pavilion 3 — New Retail / Sleep Furniture / Materials & Accessories: bedroom set furniture, sleep furniture, sofas and upholstery, health sleep products and sleep technology, intelligent home accessories, sleep-space accessories, export-oriented sleep products; hardware and fittings, decorative and edge-banding materials, timber, wood-based panels, auxiliary materials and accessories.
• Pavilion 4.1 — CIFF Shanghai Design Eden · Contemporary Design Trade Fair: imported furniture, original-design furniture, premium home elevators, whole-house customisation, high-end carpentry, high-end design accessories, special design-theme exhibition; furnishing decorations, decorative ornaments, floral art, green plants and ceramics; household items, fragrance, porcelain and metal household items; lighting, lamps and lanterns; carpets, curtains, bedding and throw pillows; wall decorations and decorative paintings; fabric materials and leather.
• Pavilion 5.1 — Bedroom & Living & Dining Rooms & Brand Globalisation Pavilion Interior: dining-room furniture, living-room furniture, dining-and-living spaces, bedroom furniture.
• Pavilion 6.1 — CIFF (Shanghai) Offices & Public Spaces Exhibition: office chairs, systematic office space, smart lifts, steel products, campus furniture, public and commercial space, hotel furniture, office accessories.
• Pavilion 7.1 — Panelboard Manufacturing Equipment Zone: material preparation, drying, forming, sanding and finishing, laminating and auxiliary equipment; complete production lines; spare parts for wood-based panel equipment; wood-plastic machinery.
• Pavilions 7.1 & 8.1 — CIFF (Shanghai) WMF International Woodwork Fair: panel-furniture and solid-wood processing equipment, wooden door equipment, furniture surface treatment technology, wood flooring equipment, spare parts and accessories for furniture machinery, knives, blades and hand tools, woodworking software; wooden architecture technology, bamboo processing machinery, forestry biomass conversion and forestry equipment; timber, logs and lumber, wood products, furniture accessories and materials, trade services.
• Pavilion 8.1 — CIFF (Shanghai) Upholstery Tech: upholstery machinery and CAD/CAM technology, cutting and materials processing equipment, mattress production machinery, mattress components machinery.

Venue: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), NECC Shanghai — 国家会展中心（上海）. The name in Baidu Maps is 国家会展中心 (上海).

From Hongqiao Airport (Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, SHA):
Taxi / Didi – ¥20–50, 5–10 min.
Metro – Line 2 to the station 国家会展中心 (National Exhibition and Convention Center), Exit 6, ~¥8, 15 min.

From Pudong Airport (Shanghai Pudong International Airport, PVG):
Taxi / Didi – ¥150–230, 60–70 min.
Metro – Line 2 to the station 国家会展中心 (National Exhibition and Convention Center), Exit 6, ~¥10, over 1.5 hours.

How foreigners can order a taxi, which apps to use and how to pay for the ride — we cover it in detail in our article “How to Use Taxis in China: A Detailed Guide for Foreigners”. Where best to stay during the fair — we break it down below.

Register online in advance. Visitor registration runs on the official CIFF Shanghai website — en.ciff-sh.com. After pre-registration you receive a confirmation and can collect your badge on site at the fair.

Documents. For registration and badge collection take your passport and any other documents the organisers' instructions may require.

Business cards — bring a good supply. Bilingual cards with an English and a Chinese side are useful: company name, your name, position, phone, e-mail and a short description of what you do. They make follow-up contact with managers after the fair much easier.

Visa. Entry rules depend on your citizenship — check the current requirements for your passport before booking. Citizens of Russia currently enjoy visa-free entry to China for up to 30 days, including for business trips; a visa is required for longer stays.

Opening hours. 9:00–18:00. Do not plan important meetings for the last day of the fair: some exhibitors start dismantling their stands before the official closing time.

Where to stay. The practical option is the Hongqiao district — especially convenient if you combine CIFF with factory visits in the region: NECC is nearby, and from Hongqiao Railway Station you can easily reach Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing and other cities by high-speed train. During the fair, hotels near NECC are best booked in advance.

Moving around the complex. NECC is a huge exhibition complex built in the shape of a «four-leaf clover», around 300,000 m². The halls are arranged around the central square and connected to each other. Plan your route across the pavilions in advance: walking between distant halls takes a noticeable amount of time. For CIFF, count on a full day on your feet and choose comfortable shoes.

Weather. Shanghai in early September is usually hot and humid — expect around 25–32 °C, with rain possible.

Payments and connectivity. Before you fly, install and set up Alipay and link a foreign bank card — a detailed guide on installing and setting up Alipay, linking your card and how foreigners pay in China is in our article How to Pay in China in 2026: A Complete Guide. Through Alipay you can pay for most daily expenses in China, from transport and taxis to restaurants, shops and hotels. Also arrange mobile internet in advance: an eSIM or a roaming package will come in handy for maps, taxis and online translators.