Eiffel Tower, China

Thank You very much!

China: Solar System and Mars Mission

On 31st March I got two postcards: one from China and one from Germany.

The card from China shows an illustration of the Solar System. 

Used on the right is a stamp I had been looking for for a while. It celebrates the Launching of the Tianwen-1 Mission to Mars (issued 26-09-2020). Tianwen-1 is China's second Mars probe and consists of an orbiter, two deployable cameras, lander, remote camera and a rover. Its scientific objectives include the investigation of Martian surface geology and internal structure, the search for indications of current and past presence of water and the characterization of the space environment and the atmosphere of Mars. With this mission China became the third country to achieve a soft landing on the Mars and the second country to deploy a rover. The mission was one of three Mars missions launched in July 2020 following the United Arab Emirates and preceding the USA. The United Nations Postal Administration recently issued a set showing those three Mars Missions. You can see it here on my stamp blog. The stamp in the middle is from a set of five about Innovation in Science and Technology (issued 24-11-2021) and shows the Deep-sea Manned Submersible Fendouzhe. The third stamp was issued in conjunction with the Centenary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China, but I could not find more information about it.

Thank You very much Ruinan!

China: Giant Panda

On 20th January I got two postcards: one from China and one from Italy.

The card from China shows a Giant Panda. I love those animals, is there anything more to say?

Two stamps about Chinese New Year were used here. Those are however not the ones popular with collectors, but the greetings stamps.

Thank You very much Mo!

China: Huangshan

On 7th August I got a postcard from China.

It was sent through official Postcrossing and shows a view of Huangshan. Huangshan is a mountain range in eastern China. It has always been a popular subject of Chinese art and literature and today is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. Since 1990 is Mount Huangshan on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Four nice stamps were used here. On the left is a stamp about Jingsheng from a set of eight about Ancient Towns (issued 19-05-2013). The next one is about the Longxing Temple in Zhengding (issued 26-06-2016). It is from a set of two. A Qing Dynasty porcelain jar is depicted on the third stamp. It comes from a set of six about Phoenix depictions in Cultural Relics (issued 29-07-2017). And last but not least is a stamp from a set of five about Astronomical Phenomena (issued 21-06-2020).

Thank You very much Lyons!

China: Shanhai Pass

On 28th May I got two postcards: one from China and one from Japan.

The card from China shows the Shanhai Pass. The Shanhai Pass is one of the major passes of the Great Wall and is located at the eastern terminal point of the Ming dynasty Great Wall, where it meets the Bohai Sea. Like the rest of the Great Wall it is since 1987 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

The complete about the 70th anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between China and Pakistan (issued 21-05-2021) with its First Day Special Postmark was used on this card. While the Pakistani set is hexagonal, these are shaped like flags or waves. Shown on them are the ports of Zhuhai and Gwadar. The other two stamps show Chinese scenery.

Thank You very much Mo!

China: Building

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

The card from China shows a building, but more I do not know. It is an official card.

The card is prepaid and two more cards were added.

 Thank You very much Dengkoro!

China: Littlest Pet Shop

Yesterday I got two postcards: one from China and one from Italy.

The card from China shows a Panda of Littlest Pet Shop. I am sure I knew these as a child, but could not remember much more.

Not a proper collection, but I really like to see Germans on foreign stamps and thus this is a wonderful selection. The two stamps on the left celebrate the Birth Bicentenary of Friedrich Engels (issued 28-11-2020) and the right stamp deals with the Centenary of the Publication of the Chinese Version of The Communist Manifesto (issued 22-08-2020) bearing the image of Karl Marx.

Thank You very much Ruinan!

China: Grand Canal

On 8th December I got two postcards: one from China and one from Germany. 

The card from China shows a bridge of the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is a vast system of waterways constructed from the 5th century onwards and running from Beijing to Hangzhou. Used for communication and transportation, it has played an important role in ensuring the country’s economic prosperity and stability. It was the World’s largest and most extensive civil engineering project prior to the Industrial Revolution and is since 2014 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Throughout history the canal has been admired by many including Japanese monk Ennin, Persian historian Rashid al-Din, Korean official Choe Bu and Italian missionary Matteo Ricci.

On 26th September 2009 the Grand Canal was honoured with a set of six stamps, of which four were used on this card. From lower left to the right these stamps show the Qingjiang Water Gate, the Shanshan Guild Hall, the Lantern Lighting Pagoda and the Gongchen Bridge. The Gongchen Bridge is the one shown on the card. Located in Hangzhou, it marks the end of the canal.

 Thank You very much Chen Zhan!

China: Traditional Painting

Last Saturday I got a postcard from China.

It shows a traditional painting.

Three stamps were used on this card. My favourite is the one on the right. It was issued on 24th April 2020 and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Successful Launch of China's first Satellite, Dong Fang Hong I. After the Soviet Union, the USA, France and Japan China was just the fifth country in the World to independently launch a satellite. It was heavier than the first satellites of other countries and carried a radio transmitter which broadcast The East is Red. Although it just had a design life of 20 days, it remains in orbit until today. On the stamp the satellite is embossed. The other two stamps are from a set of six about Chinese Ancient Mythology (issued 06-08-2019). These two show Cangjie, official historian of the Yellow Emperor and the inventor of Chinese characters, and Leizu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor who discovered the silk farming and invented the silk loom.

Thank You very much Ruinan!

China: Calabash Brothers

One Friday I got four postcards: one from China, two from Germany and one from Australia.

The card from China shows the Calabash Brothers. Calabash Brothers is a Chinese animation TV series produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio. The episodes were produced with a vast amount of paper-cut animations and in China it was extremely popular when it aired on TV in 1986 and 1987, but internationally it became not as famous as for example Havoc in Heaven. It tells the story of seven calabashes (a type of fruit) transformed into boys with supernatural powers to fight against two demons. On 1st June 2020 a nice set of six stamps was issued about the animation. One of these was used on this card to turn it into a maxicard. I really like the design of the card with heroes and villains. 

Four stamps were used as postage. From left to right they show the Dream of Red Mansions (from set of four) (issued 22-04-2018), Cantonese Opera (from set of three) (issued 15-10-2017), Chinese Ancient Mythology (from set of six) (issued 06-08-2019) and Paper Cuts (from set of four) (issued 08-02-2020).

Thank You very much Yue!

China: Bing Dwen Dwen and the 2022 Winter Olympics

Last Tuesday I got four cards: two from China, one from Austria and one from Germany.

The second card from China shows Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Beijing was elected as the host city over Almaty in 2015. These games will be the first Winter Olympics ever to be held in China and the fourth Winter Olympics held in East Asia. After Pyeongchang in 2018 and Tokyo in 2021 this will be the last of three consecutive Olympics to be held in East Asia. Beijing will be the eleventh city to host the Olympic Games twice, but interestingly the first ever to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Also after Oslo in 1952 Beijing is just the second national capital to host the Winter Olympics. Bing Dwen Dwen was unveiled as mascot of the games on 17th September 2019 together with Shuey Rhon Rhon, the mascot of the 2022 Winter Paralympics. It is a Giant Panda and its name means something like robust and lively ice. As Giant Pandas are not really known for their agility, it is encased in a stylized sports suit meant to make the animal appear more athletic and winterish, but also to embrace new and green technologies, as it also resembles an astronaut. 

The card was sent with four nice stamps. The best one for sure is the matching stamp on the the right. It is from a set of two, the other one showing Shuey Rhon Rhon, and was issued on 16th January 2020. I think it is quite interesting to see that while Macau and many European countries postponed stamps due to Covid-10, China seems to go on like usual. I would have thought that an issue like this would be quite popular and might thus result in crowds of people. The two stamps in the middle are from a set of six (issued 10-09-2016) and promote the Maritime Silk Road, the sea route part of the Belt and Road Initiative which is a Chinese strategic initiative connecting Asia, Africa and Europa across the historic Silk Road. These two stamps show in the background views of Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand, the other four for example show China, France, Greece and India. The left stamp finally is about the 120th anniversary of the Chinese Post (issued 20-03-2016). Back in 2016 I already got the complete set of four stamps. You can see it here on my stamp blog.

Thank You very much Meg!

China: Wuxi Meet-up

Last Tuesday I got four cards: two from China, one from Austria and one from Germany.

One of the cards from China is a card I already had before. It is again the official card for the Postcrossing Meet-up in Wuxi, the second joint meet-up between Wuxi and Singapore. This one is an official card, but interestingly was sent by the same person as the first version.

Nearly the same stamps were used on this card: two about Fruits (two from set of four) (issued 14-07-2018) and one called Beautiful China (from set of six) (issued 19-05-2013). Instead of signatures of the attendees on this card is a seal of the meet-up.

Thank You very much Jifeng!

cover from Austria with many cards from Africa, Asia and Europa

Last Wednesday I got two covers including one from Austria.

With great stamps:

Historic Mail Vehicles (issued 27-08-2015)

Historic Mail Vehicles (issued 25-08-2016)

Hubert Schmalix (issued 07-05-2015)

80th birthday of Friedensreich Hundertwasser (from set of four) (issued 18-09-2008)

Centenary of the Salzburg Festival (issued 21-01-2020)

Cypripedium calceolus (issued 15-01-2008)

Impressions of Austria (from set of sixteen) (issued 01-03-2015)

Inside were thirteen postcards from Africa, Asia and Europa including my first two cards from Syria. Also in the cover were two Austrian stamps which you can see here.

Syria is a country in Western Asia bordering on Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon. The modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires. For centuries it was part of the Ottoman Empire before it became a French mandate and finally became an independent state in 1945. Since March 2011 Syria has been embroiled in an armed conflict with a number of countries in the region and beyond involved militarily or otherwise. Damascus is the country's capital.

Palmyra is an oasis in the Syrian desert and once grew wealthy from trade caravans. It was one of the most important centres of the Ancient World with many monumental buildings. Its art and architecture married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences. One of the many famous buildings is the Temple of Bel, consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel and the center of religious life in Palmyra. Since 1980 is the Site of Palmyra on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but during the Syrian Civil War in 2015 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant destroyed large parts of the ruins.

The Titanic Belfast is a museum in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland. It was built on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard where the RMS Titanic was built and opened in 2012.

Bran Castle is a castle in Transylvania. It is one of the most famous castles in Romania and is commonly known as Dracula's Castle, although it neither has resemblance to the castle in Bram Stoker's book nor was probably ever visited by Vlad the Impaler. The castle is now a museum dedicated to displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie.

The Danube Delta in Romania is the second largest river delta in Europa and the best preserved on the continent. It is home to over 300 species of birds and 45 freshwater fish species. Since 1991 is the Danube Delta on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Isfahan is the third largest city in Iran and the capital of Isfahan Province. Especially under the Safavid dynasty in the 16th and 17th century the city flourished and became the capital of Persia. The fame of Isfahan led to the Persian proverb "Isfahan is half of the World".

The Imam Square or Naqsh-e Jahan Square is one of the biggest city squares in the World. It was built by Shah Abbas I the Great in the early 17th century and gives an impressive testimony to the level of social and cultural life in Persia during the Safavid era. Since 1979 is the Meidan Emam on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Shah Mosque is located on the south side of the Imam Square. It is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Persian architecture in the Islamic era. Its splendour is mainly due to the beauty of its seven-colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions.

The Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan, Jameh Mosque, is a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over twelve centuries starting in the 9th century. It is the oldest preserved edifice of its type in Iran and a prototype for later mosque designs throughout Central Asia. Since 2012 is the Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Tabriz is the sixth largest city in Iran, the most populous city in northwestern Iran, one of the historical capitals the country and the present capital of East Azerbaijan Province. As the country's closest hub to Europa many aspects of early modernisation in Iran began in Tabriz. It contains many historical monuments and is a major heavy industries hub.

Wuhan University is a Chinese national research university. It is one of the oldest universities in China and also one of the most prestigious and selective ones in the country, ranked third in 2017 due to its academic excellence.

Volubilis on Morocco was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Mauretania before it became a part of the Roman Empire, which turned it into an important outpost with many fine buildings. Since 1997 is the Archaeological Site of Volubilis on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Thank You very much Anita!

China: Wuxi Meet-up

Last Friday I got a postcard from China.

It is the official card of the recent Postcrossing Meet-up in Wuxi. This meet-up was the second joint meet-up between Wuxi and Singapore and the 14th meet-up in Wuxi. As a reminder, back in 2017 Singapore and Wuxi held the first ever joint Postcrossing Meet-up. Earlier I already got the card from Singapore. You can see it here. Here you can also see the cards of the first joint meet-up.

The card was signed during the meet-up.
Stamps:
Fruits (two from set of four) (issued 14-07-2018)
Beautiful China (from set of six) (issued 19-05-2013)

Thank You very much Jifeng!

China: Year of the Rat

On 29th January I got two postcards: one from China and one from Japan.

The card from China is a maxicard about the Year of the Rat. The stamp is from a set of two and was issued on 5th January 2020.

With matching stamps:
Science and Technology Innovation (two from set of five) (issued 01-11-2019)
Year of the Rat (whole set) (issued 05-01-2020)

Thank You very much Ningxin!

When I recently ordered stamps from Australia, I also bought a special folder which includes the sheets of the Chinese rat stamps in mint condition.

China: Christmas

Last Tuesday I got two postcards: one from China and one from Malaysia.

The card from China is a Christmas card.

Stamp:
22nd Congress of the Universal Postal Union (from set of two) (issued 23-08-1999)

Thank You very much Chen!

China: Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom

Last Monday I got a postcard from China.

It shows the Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom. Koguryo or Goguryeo was a Korean kingdom which at its peak of power controlled most of the Korean peninsula, large parts of Manchuria and parts of the Russian Far East and eastern Mongolia. It was one of the great powers in East Asia, until its defeat by a Silla-Tang alliance in 668. The Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom near the border of China and North Korea are since 2004 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Sights of Kashgar (from set of four) (issued 09-06-2018)
Cantonese Opera (whole set) (issued 15-10-2017)

Thank You very much Zihu!

China Bullet Train Meet-up Series

In June a special series of Postcrossing Meet-ups was held in China, the China Bullet Train Meet-up Series. In eight cities Postcrossers came together at the high speed railway stations to meet each other and to send many postcards. Luckily I was able to get a postcard from every meet-up.

Plans for China's high-speed railway network first arose in the early 1990s, but just in the last 15 years the network developed rapidly with substantial funding from the Chinese government. At first the trains were imported or built with the help of companies from Canada, France, Germany or Japan, but nowadays indigenous trains are built, which are designed for speeds of 250-350 km/h. Today the Chinese network is the longest high speed railway network in the World. Although the high-speed trains now already reach the most of the important cities and provincial-level administrative divisions, the building boom continues. It is set to reach 38,000 km in 2025 from 29,000 km at the end of 2018. Which is no wonder, as the network is also the most extensively used in the World. A broad range of travelers of different income levels choose the high-speed trains due to their comfort, convenience, safety and punctuality, which has greatly reduced travel time and has transformed Chinese society and economy. 

The first card arrived on 12th June and came from Shanghai, where the meet-up was held on 1st June.

Stamps:
Slender West Lake (from set of three) (issued 18-04-2015)
Yangtze River Economic Belt (from set of six) (issued 26-08-2018)

The next card came already one day later. This time it was from Hong Kong, where the meet-up was held on 9th June. It should be noted that on 9th June also the largest protest ever held in Hong Kong took place to oppose the introduction of the Fugitive Offenders amendment bill proposed by the Hong Kong government and that the protests still continue until today.

Stamp:
Characters in Jin Yong's Novels (from set of six) (issued 06-12-2018)

The third card to arrive was from Hangzhou and came on 19th June. The meet-up there was held on 2nd June.

With a matching stamp:
Achievements of China's High Speed Railway Development (from set of four) (issued 25-11-2017)
Special-use Stamp for Greeting Cards (two from set of four) (issued 08-08-2013)

The meet-up in Wuhan was also held on 1st June, but the card arrived here just on 27th June.

After one stamp got lost these two remained:
90 years Chinese People's Liberation Army (from set of six) (issued 01-08-2017)
Special-use Stamp for Greeting Cards (from set of four) (issued 08-08-2013)

The card from Qingdao, where the meet-up was also held on 1st June, really suffered during its journey, but just arrived one day after the one from Wuhan.

Three matching stamps were used, but just one arrived:
Achievements of China's High Speed Railway Development (from set of four) (issued 25-11-2017)

The swap for the card from Beijing I arranged later than the others, so the card just arrived on 6th July. The meet-up in Beijing was also held on 1st June.

Stamps:
Children's Sports and Games (from set of six) (issued 31-05-2017)
Phoenix in Art (from set of six) (issued 29-07-2017)

The meet-up in Dongguan on 30th June was the last to be held, so the card just arrived on the 20th July.

Stamps:
Achievements of China's High Speed Railway Development (from set of four) (issued 25-11-2017)
Fruits (from set of four) (issued 14-07-2018)
Special-use Stamp for Greeting Cards (from set of four) (issued 08-08-2013)

The card from Shenyang was the most difficult to arrange for me and the card just arrived on 24th August, over two months after the first card arrived. The meet-up there was held on 6th June.

Stamp:
22nd Congress of the Universal Postal Union (from set of two) (issued 23-08-1999)

Big Thank You to everyone who helped me to collect these cards! ^___^