Say hello to Santa Claus

The post office at Jianguomen provides a Santa greeting card service. CFP Photo

By Zhao Hongyi

Christmas is coming, and what better way to prepare than by sending a greeting to Santa Claus in his hometown.

Rovaniemi, located near the Arctic Circle in northern Finland, is regarded as Father Christmas’ hometown. The China Post International office at the northeast corner of Jianguomen has prepared dozens of cards for people interested in sending their tidings to Finland. People can also arrange for St. Nick to reply – you know, to keep the kids happy.

The post office has provided this service for years. In the past, individuals had to enclose stamps in their letters if they wanted a reply. They sometimes would wait for a long time before receiving something.

This year, the office has opened a special “Christmas post office,” where individuals just write down their greetings and the post office will do the rest.

For a flat rate – prices of greeting cards range from 10 to 40 yuan – the post office will make sure your card gets into the right hands and that a stamped reply goes to the address you provide.

Santa will include in his package two special stamps, a Christmas stamp folder and a 3D postcard.

The Jianguomen office also has limited edition stamps available until December 31. One is of Santa Claus, the other a sugar stick with a butterfly tie.

Lü Shitong, the office manager, said they will deliver the cards together to Santa Claus. You will be able to receive a reply if you send your card before December 10. If you miss that deadline, the earliest you can expect a reply is January 31, 2011.

Where: East side of Jianguomen Bei Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Contact: Lü Shitong

Tel: 6512 8114