Just wondering if anyone gets delivered care packages from their home country? Care packages generally being supermarket like items (especially food) that you get sent to you from your home country that you can't live without here :-)

Do they get stopped at the border and searched/seized/taxed to death or what? Anyone have any experience doing this?

I am pretty sure they would stop grandma's chocolate cake, but how about supermarket consumables (spreads/cereals etc)?

Recently I got some sweets, cosmetics etc from my country, the package was opened at the border, but nothing was confiscated/taxed.

A few weeks ago i send 5 kg of milk powder to a friend in China.
Also no problem.
I will sent some goods from holland to my adress in Kunming in the next few weeks.
See if that arive in time.

We're these delivered to your door? I do wonder if over a certain size/weight/number they slap on a tax because they deem it is for resale.

I have stuff sent over quite a bit. The only thing I've had confiscated was vitmains but sweets, chocolate, packet soups/ sauces and other bits and bobs have never been a problem

Umbilical cords.

My mum used to send me stuff often. Jeans, chocolate, crackers etc. For a time it was fine and I would get the stuff. Last three parcels didn't arrive. She won't send stuff anymore. I would suggest to use a tracking service.

Good tip mPRin, I can just imagine the stuff you have lost somehow made it onto taobao...

I came to Kunming back in March and I had planned on being able to request rapid care packages from home in the U.S.. I'd left a stock of USPS global boxes with family and I arranged a way to quickly generate pre-paid shipping labels. I really thought that I'd need periodic shipments. But, this has turned out to not be the case. I've gotten just 1 package and it turned out to be unnecessary.

The biggest issue I face is really clothing. I'm a big guy and can't find shoes or clothing that fit me here. (Luckily, I brought back more than I needed on my last trip home.) Everything else I really need is "gettable" here. I've equipped an apartment, bought computer stuff, phone stuff, tools, a TV, linens, etc..all from local stores. In general, they've all cost less than they would have in the U.S..

The only other things are trivial. I wish I could get a Butterball turkey, or a Smithfield ham. (Then, again...I have nothing to bake them in.) Some hickory smoked bacon would be nice...as would the nice selection of cheap cheese that you find in any grocery store back home. In fact, many of these trivial items are things I'm better off without...like red velvet cupcakes...and Chipotle burritos...and Popeyes fried chicken...and the occasional 7-Eleven Slurpee.

Oh...there is one thing, but it would never fit into a care package. I'd donate a kidney to get a real mattress for my queen sized bed. This box spring (that is considered a "mattress" in China) is as hard as a marble slab.

Some of the higher end furniture shops sell nice queen (full 2m not 195cm) mattress. The mattress and the corresponding bedframe could cost up to half a kidney in price.