Haitang Red and Maple Red: the same stone?
No. Haitang Red is G561 and Maple Red is G562; a different code means a different material. The trade calls Haitang Red the little Maple Red because both come from Cenxi, Guangxi, and both are red granite. Buy by code, not by nickname.
Where does the nickname come from?
Same origin, same colour family, same applications, so the market coined a shorthand. But a nickname has no standing in a contract: two suppliers saying little Maple Red may not be offering the same block. Writing the code costs nothing and prevents most disputes.
What is the most visible difference?
Haitang Red leans brownish red with a darker base; Maple Red is purer and brighter. Both have fine grain, so the difference is hue rather than pattern. Side by side in daylight, one reads like a dried date and the other like a ripe one.
Is there a big price gap?
At the same thickness and finish they sit in the same bracket, and the gap is usually small. What actually moves the price is thickness, finish and quantity: the same Maple Red at 25 mm versus 30 mm, polished versus flamed, can differ by several steps. Fix those three before comparing.
Can they be mixed?
Not on one continuous facade. The hues are close but not identical, and in sunlight the joint between them shows. It shows more when a third material sits between them. If mixing is unavoidable, put the transition in an internal corner or under a coping.
What must be confirmed before ordering?
Three things: the code, the sample, and the batch. Put the code in the contract, keep one signed sample each, and require one quarry and one production window. With those three in place, inspection at destination has something to check against.