C4.16 Sending Mail to China¶
How to Send Postcards or Letters from the UK to China?
Postcards are very common in the UK and other parts of Europe, especially in scenic spots, post offices, bookstores, stationery shops, and gift shops.
If you want to send a single gift back to China, a parcel under 5kg can cost over 200 RMB in shipping fees—this is not cost-effective. It might be better to send money via a red envelope and let the recipient buy the item themselves. However, with so many relatives, friends, and classmates in China, giving 200 RMB to each person would be costly even for those with means. That said, if you’re sending items to your partner or parents, shipping is still a good option: a 7kg parcel costs around 25 GBP and arrives in China in about 2 weeks. You can search for the WeChat official account "ukdeliver" for more details. Alternatively, you could be romantic and send a postcard to your partner in China or overseas every week. While there are many social media apps available, a postcard featuring UK scenery, British stamps, and a handwritten love letter can become a precious emotional keepsake of your relationship if you keep it up.
Sending letters or postcards is therefore the best choice. They carry thoughtfulness, scenic views, and British postmarks, making them highly memorable.
The format of writing a postcard is crucial—mistakes can lead to it being returned. If you don’t include a return address, the postcard will be lost with no way to send it back. The postal code is a key detail that must be included.
Standard Postcard Format
Top right corner: Affix the stamp here.
Bottom right section: Write the Chinese address here. Start with "To China/PRC" at the top. Below this, write the address in Chinese—using Pinyin may cause confusion for Chinese postal workers, though Pinyin is also acceptable. After the address, clearly mark "China" in English.
Recipient’s address: Write it in the right-hand box, keeping it centered and not too close to the edges.
Example Address
If you want to send a postcard to "No. 11 Chunxi Road, Jinjiang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, Postal Code: 610000", write it as follows:
To China/PRC
No. 11 Chunxi Road, Jinjiang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Si Chuan Province, China (610000)
Recipient: Shishengmao
Phone: 123123
As shown in the picture below: This is a format example for sending postcards from the UK to China, which I just edited myself. Apologies for the simple design, haha!
For the format of letters sent back to China, write the sender’s name and address in the top-left corner of the envelope. Write the recipient’s name and address in the bottom-right corner. If you’re worried the letter might not be delivered, include a phone number—currently in China, most deliveries rely on phone calls for confirmation. Mail is rarely placed in mailboxes now; instead, it is often left with property management or delivered in person via phone contact.
As shown in the picture below: This is an example of the letter format, which I also just edited. Please forgive my basic photo-editing skills, haha!
When sending your item, tell the post office staff you want to send it "By air"—this means it will be shipped via airmail, which has a lower risk of loss. Typically, it will arrive in 1 to 2 weeks. A friend of mine once sent me postcards from Greece and Nepal using the same format, and they arrived safely.
It is recommended to send your items directly at the post office rather than dropping them into red post boxes. That said, you can pretend to drop it into a post box and take a photo as a souvenir.