China Address Format: How to Write a Chinese Address

The China address format runs from smallest to largest when written in English: recipient name, room and building, street number and road, district, city, province, six-digit postal code, and CHINA on the last line. Written in Chinese characters, the same address is reversed, starting with the country, province and city and ending with the street, building, room and name.

For a parcel from the US, put the English (or Pinyin) version on the label, because USPS requires addresses in roman letters and Arabic numerals, and add the Chinese-character address underneath if you have it. Below are both orders side by side, a worked example, how China’s postal codes work, and the mistakes that most often delay delivery.

What order does a Chinese address follow?

Chinese addresses are hierarchical. In Chinese the writer starts with the largest unit and narrows down; in English the order flips so it reads like a Western address. Each part has a Chinese term you’ll often see transliterated in Pinyin on the recipient’s own paperwork.

Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing are municipalities directly under the central government, so they have no separate province line: the city name stands in for both. Everywhere else, include both the city and the full province name, such as Guangzhou, Guangdong or Chengdu, Sichuan.

How do you write a Chinese address in English?

On an international label, write the address in English or Pinyin from the smallest unit to the largest. Put the postal code on the same line as the city and province, and finish with the country name alone in capital letters, as USPS requires for all international mail. Here’s an illustrative example for an apartment in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area:

Zhang Wei
Room 302, Building 7
88 Dongfang Road, Pudong New Area
Shanghai 200120
CHINA

For an address in a province, the city line becomes “City, Province Postal code”, for example “Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong” followed by the six-digit code. Write the family name first if that’s how the recipient gives it to you, since Chinese names put the surname before the given name. Use “PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA” or “CHINA” on the last line; either is understood.

How do you write the same address in Chinese characters?

In Chinese, the order runs from largest to smallest on a single line or two, often with the postal code first and the recipient’s name last. The Shanghai example above becomes:

200120
上海市浦东新区东方路88号7号楼302室
张伟（收）

The character 收 (shōu) after the name means “to receive” and marks the recipient. Couriers and China Post delivery staff read the Chinese version, so it speeds up the last mile. USPS allows addresses in Chinese characters as long as they carry an interline English translation, so the safest approach is to print the English address on the label and add the Chinese characters below or on a slip attached to the parcel.

How does China’s six-digit postal code work?

Mainland China uses six-digit postal codes, written with no spaces or letters. The first two digits identify the province, municipality or autonomous region, the third the postal zone within it, the fourth the post office within a prefecture-level city, and the last two the specific delivery area.

Always ask the recipient for their exact code rather than using a city-wide one such as 200000 for Shanghai. A code that’s valid but wrong for the district still sends the parcel to the wrong sorting office.

How do Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan addresses differ?

Hong Kong and Macau run their own postal services, Hongkong Post and Macau Post, and neither uses mainland China’s six-digit codes. Hong Kong addresses have no postal code at all: they end with the district, such as Kowloon, and “HONG KONG” on the last line. Macau addresses likewise end with “MACAO” and no mainland-style code.

Taiwan uses its own Chunghwa Post codes and is treated as a separate destination, so never write “China” on a parcel for Taiwan. Our guide to shipping to China from the USA covers carriers, customs and transit for the mainland once your address is right.

What are common China address format mistakes?

• Wrong postal code length. Mainland codes are exactly six digits. A five-digit US-style code or a missing digit sends the parcel to manual sorting.
• Missing district. Large cities have many districts with similarly named roads, so the district (区) is essential.
• Mixing the two orders. Don’t write the English address in Chinese order or the reverse. Pick one order per version and keep it consistent.
• Dropping the building and room. Most urban recipients live in large residential compounds, so the building (号楼) and room (室) numbers matter as much as the road.
• Abbreviating the province. Write “Guangdong” in full, not “GD”.
• No phone number. USPS requires the addressee’s phone number, preferably a mobile, on the customs declaration for any item containing goods to China. China’s customs authority uses it to collect duties and China Post uses it to schedule delivery.

Address errors compound with customs problems: if you ship clothes or other goods to China, the description and value on the customs form need to be as precise as the address. Our roundup of the best shipping services and solutions compares international service levels, and FedEx and DHL also deliver to China if you book them directly, as our FedEx shipping overview and guide to DHL international shipping costs explain.

If you’re sending by UPS or USPS, ParcelPath offers free access to discounted labels, up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS, and you can compare UPS and USPS rates to China in the ParcelPath rate calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should a China address format include Chinese characters?

Include them if you can, but not instead of English. USPS requires international addresses in roman letters and Arabic numerals, and it accepts Chinese characters only with an interline English translation. Print the English or Pinyin address on the label and add the Chinese-character version below it, which helps China Post and local couriers deliver the last mile faster.

What order does the China address format use in English?

In English, a Chinese address runs from smallest to largest: recipient name, room and building, street number and road, district, city, province with the six-digit postal code, and CHINA alone on the last line. That’s the reverse of the Chinese-character order, which starts with the country and province and ends with the recipient’s name.

How many digits is a Chinese postal code?

Mainland Chinese postal codes have six digits. The first two identify the province or municipality, such as 10 for Beijing, 20 for Shanghai and 51 for Guangdong; the third the postal zone; the fourth the local post office; and the last two the delivery area. Hong Kong and Macau don’t use these codes.

Do I need a phone number in a China address?

Yes. For any USPS item containing goods to China, the customs declaration must show the addressee’s telephone number, preferably a mobile. China’s customs authority uses it to collect duties and taxes, and China Post uses it to arrange delivery. Courier services such as UPS also expect a recipient phone number for customs contact.

Sources

• USPS International Mail Manual: China
• USPS International Mail Manual 122: Addressing
• Postal codes in China (Wikipedia)
• Universal Postal Union: international addressing standards (upu.int)

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Related guides: FOB meaning, DDP shipping guide, Shipping to China from the USA.