inviting letter

Hey there,

I'm looking to attain at Q2 type to visit my biological father and other relatives in China. For the inviting letter, they can write their details etc in the letter, and scan/send it online over to me for the application? Seems like a slight bit of hassle. Do we still need a inviting letter in 2018?

Thanks very much in advance for your help! Chinese visa is confusing, and the website they have my country is not as properly informative and quite unclear.
Happy New Year!
Leah