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Free Online Barcode & QR Code Generator
Generate a Han Xin Code, the 2D barcode designed to encode Chinese characters more efficiently than QR or Data Matrix.
Open the generator ↓Turn a CSV — or a numbered sequence — into hundreds of barcodes at once, exported as a ZIP of images or a print-ready PDF sheet. Launching with Pro.
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Han Xin Code is a two-dimensional matrix barcode developed in China and standardized as GB/T 21049 (and later as ISO/IEC 20830), created specifically to address a gap that existing international symbologies didn't handle well: efficiently encoding large volumes of Chinese (Hanzi) characters. While QR code does support a Kanji mode adapted from Japanese double-byte encoding, Han Xin Code was purpose-built around GB18030, China's national character encoding standard, giving it a direct and more efficient path for representing Simplified Chinese text. A han xin code generator is most useful whenever Chinese-language content, rather than Latin text or URLs, makes up the bulk of the payload.
Han Xin Code uses a square grid structure with finder patterns positioned to allow reliable detection and orientation, along with alignment patterns similar in spirit to QR code's, though the internal encoding tables and data-region layout are optimized differently. Reed-Solomon error correction protects the payload, with multiple selectable error correction levels available to balance data density against damage tolerance, similar in structure to other modern 2D codes. What sets it apart internally is the character encoding pipeline, which maps GB18030 code points directly rather than requiring a translation through a double-byte scheme designed for a different language; because GB18030 was built from the ground up to represent the full range of Simplified and many Traditional Chinese characters, Han Xin Code avoids the inefficiencies that come from repurposing a Japanese-oriented encoding table for Chinese text.
Han Xin Code supports numeric, text, byte, and Chinese character (Hanzi) encoding modes, with symbol sizes scaling across multiple versions similar in concept to QR code's version system, from small compact grids up to larger high-capacity symbols. Its largest symbols can hold several thousand characters, with Chinese text encoded notably more compactly per character than would be possible via QR code's byte or Kanji modes for the same content, since the encoding is designed around GB18030 from the ground up rather than adapted from a different national standard. As with QR code, the encoder automatically selects the most space-efficient mode for each segment of mixed-language input, switching between numeric, text, byte, and Hanzi modes within a single symbol as needed.
Han Xin Code is used within China for applications where Chinese-language content needs to be encoded efficiently, including logistics and postal tracking, government and identity documentation, product labeling and traceability where Chinese product names or descriptions are part of the payload, and manufacturing applications where domestic Chinese standards are specified for 2D marking. Because it's a national and now also international standard, it appears wherever Chinese regulatory or industry specifications call for a GB/T 21049-compliant 2D barcode rather than a general international format like QR code or Data Matrix, particularly in sectors where the encoded data is expected to be primarily in Chinese rather than Latin script.
Select Han Xin Code from the symbology list and enter your text or Chinese-language content directly; Barcode Mint accepts UTF-8 text so Hanzi characters can be typed or pasted alongside Latin text or numbers in the same string. From there you can:
/barcode?type=hanxin&data=%E4%BA%A7%E5%93%81%E7%BC%96%E5%8F%B7 — to integrate Han Xin Code generation into a labeling systemConfirm your scanning hardware and decode software explicitly support Han Xin Code, since it's less universally supported by general-purpose barcode scanners outside China than QR code or Data Matrix, and a scanner without Han Xin firmware support simply won't recognize the symbol at all. Maintain the standard quiet zone and sufficient contrast between modules and background just as with other matrix codes, and choose an error correction level suited to your printing and handling environment. If your content mixes Chinese characters with Latin text or numbers, verify the generator correctly selects the most efficient encoding mode for each segment, since mixed-mode encoding affects both symbol size and decode compatibility — an inefficient mode choice can needlessly inflate the symbol size for the same content. Test with the actual scanning equipment your deployment will use, particularly if devices are sourced outside markets where Han Xin Code is common, since import scanners built for QR/Data Matrix-only markets may need a firmware update or replacement to add support.
Han Xin Code and QR code both use square grids with alignment patterns and selectable Reed-Solomon error correction, but Han Xin Code's native GB18030 character mode encodes Chinese text more compactly than QR code's Kanji mode, which was adapted from a Japanese double-byte scheme and isn't as efficient for the full range of Simplified Chinese characters. Against Data Matrix, which has no dedicated Chinese-character encoding mode at all and treats Hanzi as generic byte data, Han Xin Code produces a smaller symbol for the same Chinese text content, though Data Matrix remains more universally supported by scanners outside China for general text and numeric payloads. The practical decision usually comes down to geography and infrastructure: within China, where scanning hardware commonly supports GB/T 21049, Han Xin Code is a strong default for Chinese-heavy content, while QR code remains the safer choice for anything that needs to scan reliably on generic international hardware.