Have you hand-written the Chinese addresses and had them arrive?

[Schwarzwaldalex]

I write the chinese address by hand and just a week ago I got a hurray message which stated to me, that my handwriting was very well

[Johnk60]

I use package sealing tape for that.

However, one Chinese member only provided a Western-style address, nothing Chinese, which recently arrived quickly.

[_Maple_]

Welcome!

[TatianaFromSiberia]

@Wynnie

the slightest little mistake could send my card to the completely wrong address.

Well, no.
I studied Japanese at the uni.
The angle, the length actually do not matter.

If you miss / misspell some tiny element of the character, it will not affect the meaning.

If you miss some large stroke, it can lead to some misunderstanding, BUT in 99% the Chinese/Japanese native speakers will understand the text without any problems

[Robinchen]

I do handwrite Chinese addresses when I get them. I enlarge the characters and then copy them. I guess it must look like a child learning how to write to a native Chinese but so far my cards have arrived and every now and them I have received compliments for writing in Chinese.

It takes me quite some time to handwrite Chinese addresses but well - this is what I love about this hobby. You learn so many new things

[Wolfsmondfee]

There are quite a few useful hints on writing Chinese addresses here:

Handwriting Chinese Adresses - The Easy Way

Here’s an old-fashioned method for how to write in an alphabet that you don’t write in - or in fact copy any old drawing - with just the help of a piece of paper, a pencil, and a ballpoint pen. Oh well, and a printer for starts… Print the address at a size small enough to squeeze into the address field, but as big as possible. Turn the paper round and cover the back of the space with the address on it with pencil. This is most comfortably done at a window: [zz 1] Put the paper with th…

and here:

Hand-writing Chinese Addresses: The Cheater's Way

Hi everyone! I think that China Post didn’t widely use machine to classify the mails now. So to a person, it’s easy to read addresses in Chinese break in anywhere, since Chinese addresses didn’t break at all. For example, when we write“广东省广州市天河区”(Tianhe District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province) , it is actually like “guangdongprovinceguangzhoucitytianhedistrict”. But everyone, who could read Chinese, can break it like “广东省 广州市 天河区” easily. So even if you break character and character in ra…

[ShelseaXu]

In China for postcards from overseas, there is a translation department to interpret the address into the correct one in Chinese and write it on card. So the postman can deliver it.
So the zip code is the most important. The zip code determines which city the postcard will be send to. Then the local translation department will recognize the address since they are familiar with the local road name:)

[Ezri]

I wrote my first ever Chinese address last week and now I also worry whether it is going to arrive. I normally print out the addresses but since I had read on the forum that people write them even without knowing any of the characters, I thought I’d give it a try. I think it looked pretty child-like but I hope it will arrive nonetheless

[Johnk60]

There have been rumors that Pinyin addressed mail sits in piles until a translator is available to work on those items, sometimes several extra days.

[Ravynski]

Personally, I always write the addresses in their local alphabet or whatever, I find it very challenging. With Chinese, Japanese, and other languages which use complex ideograms, I break down the task in three parts:
1- calculate the proportions (in order not to distort them nor have little room to write many of them);
2- identify each one of them with simple things they look like (a man with a hat, a house, a square box, … not what they really mean, which I don’t know, but just what they are similar to, to make it easier for me to draw them);
3- respect the distances (for some reason, I tend to put closer some ideograms and more distant others… no idea why, so I have to focus on it).

[MissKayeIdaho]

I have always printed them glued it on and put a piece of cello tape over the top. It has reached the destination each time I have done that

[ShelseaXu]

I think they’ll be sent indiscriminately to the translation department.

[Megan-and-Colin]

Hello there, I print on regular printer paper and then trim it down as small as possible and then use a square of clear packing tape. I place the tape sticky side up on my desk and then I place the address face down into the sticky, then I flip it over and put the tape on the postcard.

[Wynnie]

Thanks @TatianaFromSiberia that is very encouraging! And good to know.
PS @Megan-and-Colin, I really like that tip, too, which I’ll try next time I do a print version.

[whatevsjeff]

I sent a card to china with the english address handwritten, unfortunately it didn’t arrive, over a 100 days travelling so far

[Johnk60]

Has the person been registering other cards faster?

[whatevsjeff]

i think so, I’ve seen the user online a few times too.
it’s expired now so i don’t really expect anything more

[DawnMarie3203]

I put a piece of mailing tape over the address I’ve printed out.

[Selena]

I had a card arrive in China after 197 days. Hope yours makes it soon!
Here’s a forum topic about mail to China:

Mail to China (2022 temporary suspension)

400!?! That’s incredible - going to your mailbox must be so fun!

[MissChristinaAnne]

I have never attempted to hand write a foreign address with Japanese or Chinese characters because I, like most people, think it wouldn’t be decipherable therefore it wouldn’t get to its destination.
I’ve always typed it on paper then sealed it with clear packing tape (and trimming off the edges!) before adding postage. Works like a charm!