VIETNAM ~ Ban Gioc Waterfall ~

...First great postcard sent by friend Benny who traveled last year through Vietnam and sent lots of postcards from different places he visited...so more to come... Bedankt Benny! :-D

Ban Gioc Waterfall is one of Vietnam’s most impressive natural sights. Located in the northeastern province of Cao Bang,. It is 53 meters (173 feet) high and 300 meters ( 984 feet) wide, Ban Gioc waterfall has 3 layers from the peak to the river, making Ban Gioc the widest – but not the highest – waterfall in the country.

Ban Gioc Falls lays on the border of Vietnam and China. It is considered to be the largest waterfall in Vietnam. The Falls are made out of three main waterfalls.

Stamps:
Architecture - Landscape of Vietnam - Bridge Pagoda
 (Issued 16-01-2012)

Architecture - Landscape of Vietnam -One-pillar Pagoda
 (Issued 16-01-2012 )

VIETNAM ~Bac Ha market-Hmong people ~

Lovely  view of a brightly costumed local hill-tribe women carrying leaves on her back going to the market...I do lo love postcards showing "Indigenous (new word to me since postcard collecting^^) people".
Thanks a lot MU Chu!!

With nice fauna stamps:
Reptiles (Issued 15-05-2011) and
insects-dragonflies (Issued 11-07-2011)

Bắc Hà is a rural district of Lào Cai Province in the Northeast region of Vietnam. It is the capital of the region of the Flower Hmong, one of the 54 minorities of Vietnam and of the six groups of Hmong people.


It is famous for its Sunday morning market, where thousands of locals gathered, the women dressed in their very intricate handmade costumes.They all gather to the market to sell their homemade products such as corn wine, handicraft… as well as animals.






Photo Huu Cay

VIETNAM ~The Hoi An River ~

Today's card was a lovely surprise from Edna...Thanks for thinking of my during your stay in Vietnam...and for using such great stamps!!

With nice clear postmark from Saigon:
100 Birth Anniversary of Pham Hung
 (Issued 11-06-2012)
 Ao Dai of Vietnamese women
(Issued 24-03-2012)
The Summer Olympic Games 2012
(Issued 15.07.2012)

Hội An is a city on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quảng Nam Province. It is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Hội An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

 Hoi An has a river system stretching hundreds of kilometres inland - this was the ancient transport network of the Cham Kingdom as they moved goods between the highlands and then via Hoi An and on to China. Speedboats or traditional ghe nang still sail on the river or sea.

VIETNAM ~Hanoi-Tower of the Temple of Literature - UNESCO~

...Wonderful view of one of Hanoi's most famous ancient  landmarks... this picture has an air of tranquility about it...Vietnamese women wearing their traditional "Ao Dai" costumes (the national costume of women in the country)...it looks very simple, but so elegant!! Thanks a lot Jo for another beautiful postcard of Vietnam!! 

With a great variety of wonderful stamps!













The Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, was a temple to Confucius. It was also Viet Nam’s first university and functioned for more than 700 years, from 1076 to 1779, educating the country's nobles, royalty, mandarins and other elite. Those who graduated had their names engrave on the stone stelae that sit on large stone turtles in the temple.

The temple consists of a series of 5 landscaped courtyards. The first two are primarily gardens. The third one has a lotus pond and the Stella. The final courtyard holds the shrine to Confucius.

VIETNAM ~Hoi an-UNESCO~

...This postcard really made me smile when I opened my mailbox.. a view full with brightly colored silk lanters... just something I needed in this dark and gloomy winter days!!
...The "full moon festival" must be a wonderful experience!! Thanks a lot Jo!!:D:D

Great stamps too:100th Birth anniversary of Nguyen Van Cu (Issued 09-07-2012)and
Quan ho Bac Ninh (Cultural heritage intangible representation of humanity) (Issued 15-01-2011)

Hoi An an ancient town in central Vietnam was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia and an important center of cultural exchange between Europe and the Orient.

On the 14th day of every lunar month, the old town of Hoi An switches off its lights and closes to motorised traffic, the old town is transformed by flickering candlelight, multi-coloured lanterns and hoards of visitors who’ve come to see the full moon lantern festival.

In 1999 it received the status of World Heritage site by UNESCO

VIETNAM ~Water Buffalo~

...After more than a year without postcards of Vietnam I now received two almost within a week....Lovely view of water buffalos grazing in the abundant greenery...Thank you very much Jo!!

With great stamps!!The set includes four stamps covering two bear species in Viet Nam: moon bear (Ursus thibetanus) and sun bear (Ursus malayanus). Both species are listed in the Vietnamese Red Book as endangered species. “The publishing of these stamps contributes to the conservation of bears as well as other endangered wildlife in Viet Nam,”

The water buffalo is the traditional symbol of Vietnam. It represents bravery, happiness and prosperity. Buffalos played a very important role in Vietnamese agriculture. They were a farmer’s most valued possession and were often treated as a part of the family.Buffalos are strong and hard working but also good natured and tame. Right now the preferred method of ploughing the land is still by oxen or water buffalo’s.

VIETNAM ~Mui Ne~

Don't know why but I was really surprised to learn that there are sand hills in Vietnam... this amazing card shows it...in the middle of South East a desert environment overlooking the sea...looks a bit strange... Thanks a lot Amber!!

Mũi Né is a coastal resort town in the Binh Thuan Province of southeastern Vietnam and close to the city of Phan.
The White Sand Dunes is the top attraction at Mui Ne, after the beach itself. The massive, saharan dunes lay 65 km NE of Phan Thiet. The dunes range from gold to pure white.
A small stand of pine trees sit on the southern end of the dune lakes.

VIETNAM ~Unification Palace-Ho Minh City~

View of a very interesting and historic building, the Unification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City (former Presidential Palace in former Saigon). This building played a significant role in the Vietnam War... The Vietnam War was one of the largest and most controversial wars in the US history...
Many great stamps!

The Reunification Palace is a restored five-floor time warp to the late-60s, early-70s.
It's been left largely untouched from the day before Saigon fell to the North (construction started in 1962 and finished in 1966). Formerly South Vietnam's Presidential Palace, the Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975 when tank, a replica of which is now parked on the lawn outside - crashed through the gate.

VIETNAM ~Sapa~

An amazing view of Vietnam arrived today...My 4 card from there and still a bit a speciale country to receive from... Great stamps too!^__^
As far as you can see, rice fields, it looks almost like landscape art. And knowing that all those paddy fields only can be farmed by hand.!!Must be really hard work...


Caved in the northwestern mountains of the country, Sapa is a modest town nestled within the Hoang Lien Son mountain range in Lao Cai Province. A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice. The fields are divided into sections, some areas remain dry while others are filled with water, all requiring hours of tedious work.

VIETNAM ~Ha Long Bay- UNESCO~

Halong Bay is one of the world’s natural wonders, and is the most beautiful tourist destination of Vietnam. Halong Bay features more than one thousand awesome limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach.

VIETNAM ~Ha Long bay-UNESCO~

And YIPPIE!!!! a new country Vietnam and it is also a UNESCO site!
I know each card is a little present :) but the first received card from a country is always a bit speciale...

One of the main attractions of the Ha Long bay is the bays calm water and the thousands limestone pillars forming a spectacular seascape.