Yes, at last, I’m now facing the anglicization beast that calls Taiwan its home and goes spewing its waste all around.
Problem #1: having books mailed; shipping end doesn’t know Chinese - no problem because their ordering system can’t process Chinese characters anyway.
Solution #1: Anglicize my address using the most eye-pleasing of the dueling systems: U.N. MPS.
If I use the U.N. MPS, would that cause a problem when the goods arrive at the post offices here in Taiwan?
What’s your experience?
Which one is UN MPS?
Apparently it’s another name for hanyu pinyin, but this is the first I’ve heard of it. Here’s a reference to it:
post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_ … phonetic=2
I wish I knew what system(s) Taiwanese mailsorters and mail carriers are familiar with, or at least which one(s) most of them are familiar with. I’d want to use that one / those.
I wonder if there’s a way to find that out?
Well, this doesn’t help the OP much. Sorry.
Edit: Well, the OP wanted to know our experience:
For addresses, I’ve written Zhubei (hanyu pinyin) /Jubei (Yale?)/Jhubei (tongyong pinyin?); maybe Chupei (Wade-Giles); Zhunan, maybe Jhunan and Junan; definitely written Chunan, Chu nan, and Chu Nan; Zhongshan and Jungshan, maybe Jhungshan. Now I mainly use Chungsha*n, for some unknown reason. I’ve written Panchiao, but I’ve never gotten around to writing Banqiao.
I have a little unused conversation book that uses Gwoyeu Romatzyh (I didn’t know the name until tonight; I thought maybe the textbook author had made up his own system 
). In that system, I think Panchiao would be Baanchyau. Never written that one in an address.
I don’t like admitting this, but ultimately, whatever happens to me is so unimportant that it probably doesn’t matter what system I use. Except I ain’t writin’ no Baanchyau. That looks like something proscribed in Leviticus.
My suggestion: For place names, use either Hanyu Pinyin (the international standard) or Wade-Giles (the traditional, legacy romanization system). Avoid all others like the plague.
Use Hanyu Pinyin.
Wade-Giles could be the pragmatic choice for anywhere outside of Taipei I reckon. It comes closest to the most recognized forms of the placenames, and in this case I think that should count over all other considerations. I would prefer to use HYPY across the board, but I have no faith that the alread-crap postal system here would click that Gaoxiong is Kaohsiung, or that Xinzhu is Hsinchu, for example.
use any system. as long as you have the correct three digit post code (zip code), it’ll get there. my family butchered chungli every way possible. mom used to juxtapose “yangmei” to something like" angemi" and we never lost anything.
honestly, it works better to have someone type/write out your address in chinese a number of times and then email/send it home, where whoever can pass it on to whoever else wants it.
email would be better because they could store it, though paper can be photocopied.
that said, i usually got my stuff in chung li as well from those who didn’t have the chinese addy, just took longer. kudos to the post-people for that … 
At least you picked an easy Chinese character if its Chung li.
That is one of my 4 Chinese words. I learn to recognize one a year so progressing steadily toward the full newspaper.
Yep, U.N. MPS and Hanyu Pinyin are the same. Actually, if you look in the back of your 遠東漢英辭典 you’ll find that’s the title given to it.
I’ve stuck with the U.N. MPS.
When I start to receive books, I may update this to let everyone know what happened.
If you’re lucky and have street names in English where you live, use that. That way, the PO can never claim that my overseas mail were mislabeled, 'cause I can haul their ass out onto the street and point. The funny thing is that across the street is the Yonghe 234 office but my PO office is Jhonghe 235 which is close but not as close. Yonghe 234 PO will deliver misaddressed mail to my Jhonghe address. So they’re pretty good.
The post office officially uses Hanyu Pinyin and Tongyong. Don’t use Wade-Giles anymore.
I also just noticed that they’re referring to these systems as UN MPS and Romanized Phonetic System.
Anyway, that would give you the options of Zhongli, or Jhongli, and add the postal code - 320.
Personally I always use HP because it’s the only sensible choice for Taiwan.
Here’s the link:
post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_ … stal_e.jsp
Brian