Taiwan: Taipei Meet-up

On 21st July I got four postcards: one from Taiwan, one from the USA, one from Finland and one from Austria.

The card from Taiwan is the official card of the Postcrossing Meet-up held in Taipei in late November 2020. I had actually swapped for this card back then and do not know why it took so long to reach me.

The card was signed during the meet-up and the stamp in the lower right corner was cancelled with a special Postcrossing postmark. However you can also see another postmark of July 2021, so the card remained in Taiwan all the time. I am not sure anymore whether there was a mail suspension or if this card was just forgotten, it is however great that it made its way to me.

Thank You very much Chi!

Taiwan: Taiping Lighthouse

On 8th June I got three postcards: one from Taiwan and two from Germany.

The card from Taiwan shows the Taiping Lighthouse. Taiping Island or Itu Aba is one of the Spratly Islands. It is controlled by Taiwan, but also claimed by China, the Philippines and Vietnam. Shortly before I got this card, the Punk Philatelist wrote an interesting article about this lighthouse, which you can read HERE.

Four nice stamps were used on this card, but as I usually do not have luck with identifying Taiwanese stamps, I do not even try with these. This card was by the way sent through official Postcrossing.

Thank You very much Scott!

Taiwan: National Palace Museum

Last Tuesday I got two postcards: one from Taiwan and one from Italy.

The card from Taiwan shows a jade piece from the collection of the National Palace Museum. The National Palace Museum is the most important museum in Taiwan. Most of the pieces in its collection are from the Forbidden City in Beijing and were moved to Taipei during the Chinese Civil War. As back then only the best pieces were moved to Taipei, the museum is one of the most important museums of Chinese art in the World.

A stamp with a matching tab was used on the card as well as a thematic cancellation.

Thank You very much Johanna!

Taiwan: Year of the Ox Meet-up and Postcrossing Postmark

On 13th February I got three postcards: one from Taiwan and two from Hong Kong.

The card from Taiwan is about a Year of the Ox Postcrossing Meet-up.

Unfortunately the card was not signed during that meet-up, but it is still a very special piece of mail. First there is the stamp, which is not about this year's Year of the Ox, but about the penultimate one in 1997. This makes the stamp so special for me, as I was born in that Year of the Ox. The stamp had been issued already on 2nd December 1996 and is from a set of two. And second there is this great new Postcrossing postmark for my collection, which also keeps the Year of the Ox theme. I love this card!

Thank You very much Ringo!

Taiwan: Year of the Ox

On 5th January I got three postcards: one from Taiwan, one from China and one from the USA.

The card from Taiwan is a Year of the Ox card.

Both Taiwanese Year of the Ox stamps (issued 01-12-2020) were used on the card. One of them was cancelled with a special postmark.

 Thank You very much Ringo!

Taiwan: Year of the Ox

On 7th December I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It is a maxicard about the Year of the Ox. Like every year Taiwan issued two stamps and a souvenir sheet for the Lunar New Year. One of the single stamps (issued 01-12-2020) was used on this card with the matching special postmark.

No additional stamp on the backside ws needed, but this seal was applied to the card.

Thank You very much Johanna!

Taiwan: World Postcard Day

On 13th October I got two postcards: one from Taiwan and one from Germany. 

In recent years there has been so many postcard series like Greeting from or Flags of the World. They are very popular among collectors, but I never liked to collect them, as they tend to become too excessive too quick. Postcard Bazaar is a good example for that. After the normal series there have been also special series about the 150th anniversary of the Postcard, Covid-19 and now World Postcard Day like this one from Taiwan.

A nice selection of Taiwanese stamps was used, but the highlight is the postmark. Like the Faroe Islands, Malta and Portugal also Taiwan introduced a special postmark for World Postcard Day. Also it celebrates the Moon Festival. 

 Thank You very much Johanna!

Taiwan: Taipei Beimen Post Office

On 31st July I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It shows the Taipei Beimen Post Office. The Taipei Beimen Post Office is the main post office in Taiwan's capital. It was constructed during the Japanese colonial time and was opened in 1930. Beside being a post office it is also home to a branch of the Postal Museum since 2015.

Even more interesting than the card are the stamps. As you probably noticed many countries began to issue stamps about Covid-19. At first I wanted to collect them all, but when there were more and more stamps from countries hard to get I discarded the idea and now only actively collect the thematic stamps that I like or that are somehow special. However I still try to make a complete list on my other blog. Click here if you are interested. Taiwan issued its stamps about the pandemic on 21st July with the slogan Taiwan can help, pointing out that Taiwan's tactics against Covid-19 are not heard around the World, although it got through the time very well so far. The matching special postmark was used as well.

Thank You very much Shu-i!

Taiwan: Giant Panda at Taipei Zoo

On 13th March I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It shows a Giant Panda at the Taipei Zoo. The Taipei Zoo was opened in 1914 and is today one of the largest zoos in Asia and the most famous in Taiwan. In 2008 two Giant Pandas arrived in Taipei from China. They are called Tuan Tuan (male) and Yuan Yuan (female). They were first offered in 2005, when they were rejected. Their cub Yuan Zai was born in 2013 and is the first Panda cub born on Taiwan.

Stamps:
World Baseball Softball Confederation Championships (from set of four) (issued 01-11-2019)
Year of the Rat (from set of two) (issued 03-12-2019)

Thank You very much Vicky!

Taiwan: Pingzhen Meet-up

Last Thursday I got three postcards: one from Taiwan, one from Spain and one from Thailand.

The card from Taiwan is about the Postcrossing Meet-up in Pingzhen in December 2019. It was turned into a maxicard with one of Taiwan's two Year of the Rat stamps (issued 03-12-2019).

It is an official card: TW-2911926

The card was signed during the Meet-up.
Stamp:
Chinese Fruit Engravings (from set of two) (issued 15-07-1999)
with the same special postmark as on the front side

Thank You very much Komimi!

Taiwan: National Palace Museum

On Tuesday I got three postcards: one from Taiwan, one from Germany and one from Canada.

The card from Taiwan shows a bronze mirror from the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The National Palace Museum is the most important museum in Taiwan and one of the largest museums of Chinese art in the World. Most of the pieces in its collection are from the Forbidden City in Beijing and were moved to Taipei during the Chinese Civil War. Back then only the best pieces were moved to Taipei.

With nice stamps:
Door Gods (from set of four) (issued 19-01-1990)
?
Flowers (ffrom set of four) (issued 14-10-2009)
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Lucky Animals (from set of four) (issued 29-09-1993)

Thank You very much Vicky!

Taiwan: Lanyang Museum

On Wednesday I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It shows the Lanyang Museum. The Lanyang Museum is a museum about the Yilan County. It was opened in 2010.

On the backside a ticket of the museum was affixed.
Stamps:
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Personal Greeting (two from set of twenty) (issued 14-09-2016)

Thank You very much Robin!

Taiwan: Year of the Pig

On Wednesday I got three postcards: one from Taiwan, one from Germany and one from New Zealand.

The card from Taiwan is a New Year's card and shows little pigs in a train.

With a matching stamp:
Alpine Lakes of Taiwan (from set of four) (issued 21-03-2018)
Year of the Pig (from set of two) (issued 03-12-2018)

Thank You very much Ya Zhen!

Year of the Pig Covers from Taiwan

Last Tuesday I got a cover from Taiwan.

Stamps:

Year of the Pig (whole set) (issued 03-12-2018)

with First Day Special Postmark

Inside was a Year of the Pig postcard.

Already last Friday I had got another cover from Taiwan with a Year of the Pig souvenir sheet and a different special postmark.

Thank You very much George!

Taiwan: 8th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up

On Wednesday I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It is the official card of the 8th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up.

The card was signed during the meet-up.
Stamp:
Railway Bridges in Taiwan (from set of four) (issued 09-06-2017)
with a special Postcrossing postmark

Thank You very much Lin!

Taiwan: 1600 Pandas and the Presidential Office Building in Taipei

On Friday I got two postcards: one from Taiwan and one from Estonia.

The card from Taiwan shows the 1600 Pandas in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. The Presidential Office Building was built between 1912 and 1919 as Office of the Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan. Since 1950 it houses the Office of the President of the Republic of China, after Taipei became the nation's capital at the end of the Chinese Civil War. Today the Baroque-style building is a symbol of Taipei.

The 1600 Pandas are part of a WWF campaign which aims at making the people aware that there were only 1600 Giant Pandas left in the wild in 2008. Since 2008 the 1600 paper mache pandas are travelling around the World. By 2016 they were exhibited at around 100 locations in many countries across the globe. 

Stamp:
Berries (from set of four) (issued 12-01-2012)

Thank You very much Chianyu!

Taiwan: Sailor Moon

On Friday I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It shows Sailor Mars from the Sailor Moon manga series. Sailor Moon is a manga series by Naoko Takeuchi. It was published between 1991 and 1997 and is about the Sailor Soldiers, female supernatural fighters who protect the Solar System from evil. There are also TV series and movies based on the manga.

Stamp:
Tainan City (from set of four) (issued 28-03-2017)
with a special Sailor Moon postmark

Thank You very much Laetitia!

Taiwan: Gaomei Wetlands

Last Monday I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It shows the Gaomei Wetlands. The Gaomei Wetlands are a protected wetland area in Taichung. 

Stamp:
120th Anniversary of the Chinese Postal Service (from set of two) (issued 18-03-2016)

Thank You very much Keiko!

Taiwan: 7th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up

On Thursday I got three postcards: one from Taiwan, one from Malaysia and one from Russia.

The card from Taiwan is the official card of the 7th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up. 

The card was signed during the meet-up.
Stamp:
Year of the Dog (from set of two) (issued 01-12-2017)
with a special Postcrossing postmark

Thank You very much!

Taiwan: Taiwan Blue Magpie

Yesterday I got my first four postcards of 2017: one from Taiwan, one from Russia, one from Turkey and one from Thailand.

The card from Taiwan shows Taiwan Blue Magpies. The Taiwan Blue Magpie is a bird from the crow family, which is endemic to Taiwan. In 2007 it was inofficially voted for the national bird of Taiwan.

With matching stamps:
Variable Value Stamps
with a special postmark from the 6th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up

Thank You very much Lin!