yes, the question is as stupid as it sounds. i know some expat can give me a real answer - after all the jokes are posted, of course.

i live in an alley.
no. 9.

when i moved in, i asked the real estate agent if the english address was "alley no. 9." he said yes. but i think alley and lane are interchangeable. and i think in shanghai, the real term is lane. but i'm not sure. now i have a friend applying for a tourist visa to visit me, and she needs my address in english.

is there a difference between an alley and a lane in shanghai?

my real question is, should my address be written as "lane no. 9," "lane 9," "alley no. 9," alley 9" or something else?

and are the alley/lane number, building number and room (apartment) number written before the street number?

thanks.

This character means Lane :巷 xiang4

This character means Alley : 弄 nong4

Not interchangeable, it is different thing

Usually , an alley can be found mostly inside an old compound to locate the blocks of buildings , while the lane is a small street perpendicular to a street or Road

in english, you can write either Lane 9, or lane No 9...doesn't matter

pay attention that in chinese , it starts in reverse way compared to english

i.e english example: Room 601, No 10, alley 4, lane 52, Anho road, Luwan, shanghai

In chinese, it will start with shanghai, then area (Luwan for example) , then road, then lane, then alley, then number, then floor + apartment

You are too enthusiast Prettyscared

it is just for a visa application ...and OP said in english

thanks, everybody!

all of the info is helpful.

i wish i could give you the address in chinese. maybe after several hours of diddling with my keyboard . . .

mr. t, you answered the key question. looking at my address written in script by my realtor, i can see clearly it is an alley, not a lane. and thanks for letting me know there's a difference. (though the alley is perpendicular to a main street, it didn't seem like other lanes i've seen.) i can also tell from the script that he has identified the area, then the road on the first line; then alley, building and room on the second.

pretty..., thanks, too, for the addressing info. i didn't know about including "PRC."

i have successfully received some packages from home with just the english address. i wanted to include my chinese address, but my brother is a stroke survivor and has limited mobility. i prepacked my care packages using my work address, and things get to the office fairly easily. in fact, i was stunned to get my priority mail boxes from l.a. in five days! even the post office said it might take three weeks. and that was during the xmas crush.

thanks again. this can be a crazy forum, but i always learn something valuable here.

My Chinese address is 新华路329弄... (Xinhua Road 329 Alley), but in English I've always given it out as "Lane 329" and never had a problem. What's more, Lane/Alley 329 is a relatively long, wide, bitumen-surfaced road with cars parked along it. It is manifestly not an "alley" but on my utility bills the word 弄 (nong or long) is used.

Interesting historical aside - I read somewhere that Lane 329 was originally called "Cambridge Circuit", and that Xinhua Road was originally named Amherst Road back in the 20s. Certainly it has some of Shanghai's most impressive mansions. The lane itself is lovely, with several notable historic villas including a circular house designed by Ladislaus Hudec. One of Shanghai's hidden gems.

Mr Totomolo wrote:This character means Lane :巷 xiang4

This character means Alley : 弄 nong4

Not interchangeable, it is different thing

Usually , an alley can be found mostly inside an old compound to locate the blocks of buildings , while the lane is a small street perpendicular to a street or Road

in english, you can write either Lane 9, or lane No 9...doesn't matter

pay attention that in chinese , it starts in reverse way compared to english

i.e english example: Room 601, No 10, alley 4, lane 52, Anho road, Luwan, shanghai

In chinese, it will start with shanghai, then area (Luwan for example) , then road, then lane, then alley, then number, then floor + apartment

in my address, written by management office, 弄 nong4 indicates the building in the compound.
I am more confused now...