CHINA ~ Chongqing Monorail ~

... Beautiful postcard of the iconic "🌸Train to Spring🌸"... the Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 offers a stunning view as the monorail glides through blooming plum flowers, attracting many residents and visitors eager for a scenic experience... it feels like traveling through a painting... this breathtaking view, where trains weave through a stunning canvas of pink blossoms, has become a beloved symbol of spring... the area’s charm lies in its layered beauty: the monorail above, a sea of flowers in the middle, and a walkway below... also a famous section of Line 2 is where it passes through the 8th floor of a 19-story residential apartment building, creating a top tourist photo spot... Thanks a lot Sam! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

The Chongqing Rail Transit (CRT) system operates the world's longest monorail network, with lines 2 and 3 spanning over 98 km combined. Line 3 is the world's longest single monorail line at 67.1 km, while Line 2 (31.4 km) was China’s first heavy straddle-beam monorail, designed to navigate the city’s mountainous terrain. Opened in 2005, these straddle-type, Hitachi-designed monorails offer high-capacity transport, acting as a major, efficient transit solution in the city. 

Stamp:

Wild Life - Antelopes

(Issued 16-03-2001)

CHINA ~ Giant Panda ~

...🐼"Cuteness overload"🐼... a fluffy panda having the best time rolling in the snow... the giant pandas prefer colder temperatures and are usually more active during the winter months... they have thick waterproof fur that insulates them from the cold and wet snow... with great special postmark from the Panda Post (or Panda Kingdom Post Office)... a unique postal service and cultural landmark located within the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan established in 2013... the facility includes over a thousand panda-themed items, including postcards, stamps, stationery, and "Giant Panda Postman" collectibles... a cultural market, a postal exhibition hall, and even a panda-themed restaurant... Thanks a lot Hang Tong!(✿◠‿◠) 

"My break dance in the snow!"                         Photo: © Zhang Zhine
Giant pandas are bear species native to central China, famous for their black-and-white fur. These mammals are omnivores. But whilst pandas will occasionally eat small animals and fish, bamboo counts for 99 percent of their diet.They are bamboo experts that eat up to 50 pounds of bamboo daily, spending 12–16 hours eating, and have a special wrist bone acting as a thumb for grabbing food.

Giant pandas grow to between 1.2m and 1.5m, and weigh between 75kg and 135kg. Scientists aren’t sure how long pandas live in the wild, but in captivity they live to be around 30 years old.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (or simply Chengdu Panda Base) is a government-funded non-profit breeding and research institute for giant pandas, red pandas, and other rare animals located in Chengdu Sichuan and was founded in 1987.

Stamps:

Huangmei 

(Issued 06-07-2014)

Olympic Games - Beijing 

(Issued 08-08-2007)

Greeting Card Stamps Serie

(Issued 08-08-2013)

CHINA ~ Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er - UNESCO ~

... Nice view of the entrance of the Old Tea Forests... this site covers an ancient tea production area deeply connected to the Blang and Dai ethnic groups, who have cultivated the tea forests for over a thousand years using traditional, sustainable methods... the forests are a "nature museum of tea" with some trees being hundreds of years old and they are allowed to grow to their natural size, rather than being pruned to a uniform height, which is the case in most tea production... they are cultivated in a way that preserves biodiversity, with tea trees growing in harmony with the natural forest... visitors can hike through the ancient forests, visit traditional villages and learn about tea production from locals, participate in tea ceremonies and enjoy panoramic views... today, tea is a popular product that generates substantial income for local people... Thanks Lu!ヽ(ヅ)ノ

This heritage site consists of five old tea forests covering an area of 1,180 hectares. It includes nine ancient villages with a population of about 5,000 people and is surrounded by approximately 10 other villages inhabited by various ethnic groups. 

This Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests site became a UNESCO  WHS site  in 2023.
 

Stamps:

Science and Technology Industries 

(Issued 01-12-2023)

125th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union 

(Issued 07-09-1999)  
 

Taihung Mountains 

(Issued 009-2023)

CHINA ~ Badain Jaran Desert - UNESCO ~

... Pretty view of one of the many colorful lakes in Badain Jaran Desert... there are 113 inland lakes scattered among its sand dunes... commonly known as "thousands of lakes in the desert"... these lakes have various formations and different scenery, some of which are fresh, while others are salty forming a unique desert landscape... the desert’s notable features include the world’s tallest, stabilized sand mega-dune, reaching a relative height of 460 meters, the largest expanse of so-called singing sands and wind-eroded landforms... praised as the most beautiful desert in China, its spectacular colorful desert scenery attracts many visitors and photographers... with nice matching deserts stamps!👍Thanks Lucie!【ツ】

Badain Jaran Desert  is located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China.

With a total area of 49,200km² , an average altitude of 1200-1700 meters, the Badian Jaran Desert is the third largest desert in China.

In 2024  China's Badain Jaran Desert - Reservoirs in the Sand Hills became a World Heritage Site.

Stamps: 

Landscapes - Badain Jaran Desert 

(Issued 19-05-2021)

Landscapes in the Border Regions 

(issued 01-10-2004)

Song Ci, 1186-1249 

(Issued 13-04-2016)

CHINA ~ Site of Xanadu - Inner Mongolia - UNESCO ~

 ... Nice views of  the remains of the birthplace and former summer capital of the Yuan Dynasty... over a surface area of 25,000 ha, the site was a unique attempt to assimilate the nomadic Mongolian and Han Chinese cultures... there are not only palaces and temples with civil structure, but also the nomadic traditional yurt-style architecture... passing through two city gate ruins flanked by stone walls, you will arrive at the central palace ruins... only the foundation remains today, but standing here allows you to truly grasp the grandeur of the Yuan Dynasty’s capital... walking paths have been developed within the ruins, allowing visitors to explore it... with great matching "Inner Mongolia" stamps (an autonomous region of China).... Thanks Lucie! (✿◠‿◠)

The site of Xanadu was built in 1256 by Kublai Khan, the first Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, the Shangdu of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 ~ 1368 AD).The capital was square in shape with three layers, the outer layer, the imperial layer and the palace. For over a hundred years between the 13th and 14th centuries, it was the political, military, economic and cultural center of the Yuan Dynasty, and also a summer palace and resort for the royal family.

The Yuan dynasty was the first foreign-ruled dynasty in Chinese history to commandeer all of China. With no experience in the running of such a large and complex empire, the Mongols gradually adopted many Chinese cultural and bureaucratic models. Growing factionalism at court, corruption, and the horrors of natural disasters, however, led relatively shortly to rebellion and, eventually, dynastic collapse.

In 2012, this site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps:

3X Xilingguole Grasslands, Inner Mongolia

(Issued 24-07-1998)

Contemporary Chinese Authors  

(Issued 15-10-2024)

CHINA ~ Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - UNESCO ~

... Last post at the end of a very difficult year for everyone with an overload of cuteness❤️...  the cudly national symbol of China🐼...Giant Pandas are adored and treasured all over the world, and most zoos take great pride even in only having a few... Belgian zoo Pairi Daiza hosts five of these amazing animals... a number of breeding centers, reserves, and research facilities have been established in Sichuan to help protect the giant panda from extinction... these reserves offer the modern traveler plenty of extraordinary ways to visit pandas in their natural habitat and possibly even interact with these magnificent beasts... Chengdu has also one of the most stunning landscapes in China... Thanks Lu! (✿◠‿◠) 

The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, located in southwest Sichuan province consist, are home to more than 30% of the world's highly endangered Giant Pandas and is among the most important sites for the captive breeding of these pandas.

It covers 9245 km2 with seven nature reserves and nine scenic parks in the Qionglai and Jiajin Mountains. Along with the Giant Panda, the sanctuary is a refuge to other endangered species such as the red panda, the snow leopard, and the clouded leopard. 

Outside of the tropical rainforests, it is among the botanically richest sites of the world, and is home to between 5,000 and 6,000 species of flora.

In 2006, UNESCO designated the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries a World Heritage Site. 

 

CHINA ~ Kaiping Diaolou and Villages - UNESCO ~

... Nice view of a famous historic site... a series of fortified multi-storey towers known as "Diaolou"... built by returning Chinese immigrants from America, Canada, Hong Kong and Malaysia... served mainly as protection against forays by bandits, a few of them also served as living quarters... the strong but rather plain diaolou were constructed very close to a village... in times of banditry, each family would be allowed in to the tower (they usually had their own room) as long as they had paid towards the construction and upkeep of this communal defense...  mixing Chinese and western architectural styles, these towers are scattered across the landscape... many of them can be entered and some can even be climbed...  a must see place when visiting Guangdong province...Thanks Lee!ツ

Kaiping is situated in south-central Guangdong in the southwest of the Pearl River Delta region.

The towers were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, when there were more than 3,000 of these structures. Three separate forms can be distinguished: communal towers, residential towers and watch towers.

The name comes from a combination, of two Chinese characters. Diao means stone and lou mean tower.

Of the approximately 1,800 diaolou still standing today, 20 of them in the following areas make up the  WHS UNESCO site since 2007:
Sanmenli Village
Zili Village & the Fang Clan Watch Tower
Majianlong Village Cluster

Jinjiangli Village

Stamps:

Song CI 1186-1249

(Issued 13-04-2016)

Children's Games

(Issued 31-05-2017)

Marine Silk Road

(Issued 10-09-2016)

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CHINA ~ Fanjingshan - UNESCO ~

... Spectacular view of one of China's newest natural wonders on the UNESCO list... this impressive finger-like peak is shrouded in spiritual heritage and more often than not - a dense layer of fog... still largely undiscovered by Western tourists... Wuling Mountain Range is  known as “the gene database of China” due to its rich biodiversity... Fanjingshan, which in Chinese means “Buddhist tranquility”, has also been a sacred site for Buddhists... 48 Buddhist temples were built on the mountain, many of which have since been destroyed... the ones that remain are significant pilgrimage sites for Buddhist worshippers around the world... Thanks Chenzhan!!ヽ(ヅ)ノ

Mount Fanjingshan, located in southwest China’s Wuling mountain range in Guizhou Province, is the highest peak of the Wuling Mountain range running across several provinces and municipalities in the area including Chongqing, Guizhou and Hunan.

Fanjingshan measures between 1,600 and 8,431 feet above sea level and is blanketed with diverse vegetation. This monolith is comprised of metamorphic rock surrounded by karst formations, and is home to many plant and animal species that originated between 65 million and 2 million years ago.

It is a rugged terrain of primary forest. It includes endangered floral and fauna species, such as the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey. Due to Fanjingshan’s wet climatological circumstances it also shows an extraordinary richness in bryophytes (mosses).

Stamps:

??????

~ CHINA -Xinjiang Autonomous Region - Mount Bogda - UNESCO~

...Stunning sunset view on the all year round snow covered Bogda mountain...and therefore nicknamed “the sea of snow”...and my fourth UNESCO postcard in a row ㋡...Thanks a lot Nan!!

Photo by Song Shijing Xinjiang, an autonomous region in northwest China, is a vast region of deserts and mountains,   bordering the countries of Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The ancient Silk Road trade route linking China and the Middle East passed through Xinjiang.

Bogda Peak is the highest mountain in the Bogda Shan range in the eastern Tian Shan Mountains, one of the largest mountain ranges in the world. It has been on the World Natural Heritage List since June 2013.

Stamp:

Dong Architecture
(Issued 02-06-1997)

Special-use stamp for Greeting Cards
(Issued 08-08-2013)

CHINA ~Qin Shihuang's Terracota Warriors & Horses-Pit nr 2 -UNESCO~

Another one of China's most famous tourist attractions...the fact that the warriors not have been moved to a museum but that it is built around the site makes it even more special...Thanks a lot Hao Xin!!

(left)Protecting the common homeland defenitives stamp
 issued in 2002 and
China's Rejuvenation Turn of the Century,
Beginning of a New Millennium stamp
(Issued 01-01-2001)

One of the most significant archaeological finds in the world, this 16,300-square-meter excavation reveals more than 7,000 life-size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations, divided into three sections: Pit nr1-2-3.

Pit nr 2 was found in 1976 and contains over thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood and is the most spectacular of the three pits.Covering an area of 7,176 square yards, it is L-shaped, measuring 136 yards from east to west, 107 yards from north to south, and sixteen feet deep.
 It was opened for the public in 1994.

 The site was made a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987.

CHINA ~The Great Wall at Badaling-UNESCO ~

.... breathtaking view... miles and miles of wall...it make you think  how anyone in ancient times could built such a monumental structure in this mountain landscape...spectacular...
Thanks soooo much Kolly!!

The Great Wall has served as a symbol of the spirit of Chinese nation, precisely as what the saying goes: "He who has  never been to the The Great Wall is not a true man"

And with soooo nice stamps!!

Badaling Great Wall is situated in Yanqing County, over 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Beijing. It is the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty. As the earliest part of the Great Wall opened to tourists, Badaling has drawn tens of millions of tourists both from home and abroad. More than 370 foreign leaders and celebrities have visited there.

The Great Wall is the grandest stone defensive construction in ancient China. Located in North China, it stems from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east and stretches to Jia Yu Guan in the west. With a total length of 6700 kilometers, it is also known as "A ten-thousand-li wall".The Great Wall is comprised of various defensive buildings including rampart, watch tower, oasis town, fortress, commanding station, Balefire stages. It is an integral defensive project system.They reflect the extraordinary engineering techniques of ancient China.

The Great Wall of China is considered to be the only man-made project visible from the moon.

In 1988, it was enlisted in the World Cultural Heritage List  by UNESCO.

CHINA

CN-541221... I do like the back of this card more than its front... I'm not so into "cute" postcards (although those little bunnies looking really sweet :D)... Thanks Kiel!

With really lovely stamps: Rock Painting in Helan Mountain (Issued 23-09-1998)
Next two: Shennongjia; Grasland on Yhe mountain and Primitive Forest (Issued 06-06-1998)

CHINA ~Traditional Celebration~

This nice cards shows "Traditional Celebration" (from the back of the card)... But I don't know what they are celebrating, maybe Chinese New Year???:( Thanks Wen Hua!

With three great stamps!

CHINA ~The Ping yao Ancient City-UNESCO~

Received a lovely new UNESCO site from china... Thanks Wenhua!:D
With also three great stamps!

The Pingyao Ancient City is one of the four ancient cities well preserved in China. The heritage council of UNESCO reported that the Pingyao Ancient City was a masterpiece of the city architecture done by the Chinese Han nationality. The city has kept all the ethical characters and has displayed an unusual complete picture in the development of the histories of culture, society, economy and religion in China.

CHINA ~Sister Peaks~

Great card about a really speciale project of which I never heard before: " Sister Peaks"... Very interesting!!
It is a prepaid postcard!

From the back of the card:
Lijiang is a rare exception of human and nature's harmonicus coexistence in today's world. Zermatt (Switserland), a small paradise highly developed while free from industrial pollution. In 2001, Yulong Snow Mountain of Lijiang and Matterhorn Switserland were designated as sister peaks. In 2005, Switseralnd Matterhorn Dreamland was founded at the foot of Yulong to honor the relationship, and to display the commonalities of coexisting approaches for humans and nature in the two places.

CHINA

And here a bit strange looking postcard from China (CN-297381)... I don't even know if it is a real postcard...its printed on a brown cardboard and the view is not so clear... The sender wrote that it shows a 1000 year old temple carved in the rocks...
Maybe someone can translate the word or text on the card??


Heng Shan, one of the five Buddhist mountains in China is located in Northeast Shanxi Province. While it is not one of the more impressive mountains in China, it is a healthy climb at about 2200 meters above sea level. Like nearly all mountains in China, it has stairs all they way to the top. Carved into the side of the mountain are several monasteries, still operated today.

CHINA ~Belgian Pavilion-Shanghai~

Yesterday I was talking about the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and today I found a postcard in my mailbox showing the Belgian Pavilion sent from Shanghai... Great!!


Belgium has translated the “BetterCity, Better Life” theme into a pavilion that is characterised on the outside by neat lines in recyclable materials. The building has been designed and constructed so that it can be used again and for other purposes after the Expo, and is easy to dismantle and rebuild. A conscious decision was made not to build on the whole site, instead reserving around one third for green space. The building’s energy consumption has been optimised, for instance by limiting the use of glass to the north façade in order to reduce the building’s heat load. On the roof, 1100 m² solar panels generate energy for use by the kitchens and the restaurant.
The inspiring overall concept of the Brain Cell, or neuron, inside the pavilion demonstrates the importance of science to the intellectual and cultural development of our society and symbolises our highly globalised and complex world with all of its communication facilities. It is a direct reference to innovation in the field of biotechnology, chemistry and nanotechnology. The Brain Cell also calls forth associations with the wealth of art in Belgium and Europe. Finally, this key concept represents Belgium as a crossroads of civilisation and centre of Europe, which has its own Expo space in our pavilion – a first in the history of the World Expo.

CHINA ~Zhuang's Logs Cabins~

Today, and I must say its really summer here with temperatures above 25°C :-) I received a great but a bit "mysterious" view of China.... And with many beautiful stamps!


The Zhuang are an ethnic group of people who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. The Zhuang house was traditionally wooden house on pilars, which has two storied, with the upper story serving as living quarters and the lower as stables and storerooms.This kind of house is, in most cases, built in the slanting areas or near to water.

CHINA ~Shenyuan Garden~

Got two great official cards today! Another lighthouse from Germany and a beautiful garden from China...

The Shenyuan Garden is found in the Yanghe Hutong at Yan'an Road in Shaoxing. During the Southern Song Dynasty it was a private garden owned by the Shens. Inside the garden is a pool in the shape of a gourd, and the pool is surrounded by a number of buildings erected during the Southern Song Dynasty, including a tiny brogue fashioned out of stone slabs, a pool-side artificial mountain and a well.

CHINA ~Mount Huangshan - UNESCO~

Mount Huang, also known as Huangshan (literally "Yellow Mountain", is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly-shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. Mount Huang is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's major tourist destinations.