Postcard from China

Thank you Wuyifei for the nice bird postcard and stamp.

circa  2013: stamp  shows traditional Chinese painting- Bamboo

Postcard from China.

Prestamped postcard on The official English-language website of China Radio International, providing the latest news, travel information, learning materials and multimedia coverage of China and international events from CRIENGLISH.com.It is issued by State Postal Bureau.
Thank you He Jun for this unique card.

Postcard from China.

Hubei is a landlocked province in Central China. Its varied terrain encompasses mountains, lakes and wilderness areas.The province is also known for the Three Gorges, a popular destination for Yangtze River cruises and home to the massive Three Gorges Dam.
Thank you Huliang for the scenic card and beautiful stamps.
2016 Stamp-Wanfeng Peaks Forest
2017 Stamp- The 20th Anniversary of the Return of Hong Kong to China
2014 Stamp-China's Modern Scientists

Postcard from Germany.

Thank you Gunter for the beautiful Weimar  Unesco world heritage site card and nice stamps.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the small  town of Weimar witnessed a remarkable cultural flowering, attracting many writers and scholars, notably Goethe and Schiller. This development is reflected in the high quality of many of the buildings and of the parks in the surrounding area.

2017 Stamp-Flora - Flowers

2017 EUROPA Stamps - Palaces and Castles

Postcard from Germany.

Thank you Pia for the nice postcard on Painting.

2017 Stamp- Flora - Flowers

2017 Stamp- Youth Philately - Augsburger Puppenkiste Marionette Theater

Postcard from Russia.

Athanasius nikitin.
Afanasy Nikitin, ( died in 1472) was a Russian merchant of Tver and one of the first Europeans (after Niccolò de' Conti) to travel to and document his visit to India. He described his trip in a narrative known as The Journey Beyond Three Seas.During his trip, Nikitin studied the population of India, its social system, government, military (he witnessed war-games featuring war elephants), its economy, religion, lifestyles, and natural resources. The abundance and trustworthiness of Nikitin's factual material provide a valuable source of information about India at that time.
In 2000, a black obelisk was erected in Nikitin's honor at Revdanda, a village  17 km away from Alibag and 125 km away from Mumbai. (BOMBAY)
In 2006, the Indian organization "Adventures & Explorers," with the support of the Embassy of India in Moscow and the Tver Regional Administration sponsored the "Nikitin Expedition", in which 14 travellers set out from Tver to retrace Nikitin's journey through Russia, the Middle East, and Central Asia to India. The expedition lasted from 12 November 2006 to 16 January 2007.
Thank you Katya for the beautiful card with interesting information.
2017 Stamp- Fauna of Russia - Turtles

Postcard from Russia.

Thank you Svetlana for the magnificent postcard on St Petersburg,a UNESCO world heritage site.

2016 Stamp- Tourism - Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort, Krasnodar Krai, Russia

2009 Definitive Issue. Kremlins - Self-Adhesive Stamps

Postcard from Belarus

Thank you for the B/W vintage UNESCO heritage site card-Castle of Radziwills in Niasvizh.and the beautiful stamp.

2016 Stamp- Happy New Year - Merry Christmas.

Postcard from Austria.

                   United Nations office/Vienna International Centre, Austria-
The impressive modern setting of the Vienna International Centre (VIC) has been home to numerous international organizations since 23 August 1979. On daily guided tours, visitors can learn about the work of the United Nations and experience the Vienna International Centre's striking architecture and vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere of the VIC.
By signing up for a tour, one can have the chance to count the flags of  more than 190 Member States in the Rotunda, see a variety of temporary exhibitions on the work of the United Nations and perhaps even see one of the impressive conference rooms.
United Nations stamps are issued simultaneously at UN offices in New York , Geneva and Vienna . Each issue carries a related design theme, with different denominations for each office. The stamps are available from UNPA offices in person or by mail, and from stamp dealers. They are valid for postage when used on mail from the UN offices in New York , Geneva and Vienna
Thank you Cassandra for the UNPA postcard with UN Vienna stamp and mailed from  (VIC).
UN Vienna 2017 Stamp- International Day of Peace

Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas,Zimbabwe.

This  heritage Site is an area of dramatic landscape and ecological processes. Physically protected by the Zambezi River to the north and the steep escarpment (which rises to over 1,000 m from the valley floor) to the south, this site provides shelter for immense congregations of Africa’s large mammal populations which concentrate in its flood plains. While black rhino has disappeared since the property’s inscription, huge herds of elephant and buffalo, followed by zebra, waterbuck and many other antelope species and their associated predators including lion and hyena migrate to the area each year during the dry winter months.

Thank you Virva for my first ever written card from your country.It is beautiful and thank you.

Date of Inscription: 1984

Ref: 302

2005 Stamp-Birds (Set of 4 stamps)

Iguazu National Park,Argentina.

Located in Misiones Province in the Northeastern tip of Argentina and bordering the Brazilian state of Parana to the north, Iguazú National Park, jointly with its sister park Iguaçu in Brazil, is among the world’s visually and acoustically most stunning natural sites for its massive waterfalls. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. Across a width of almost three kilometres the Iguazú or Iguaçu River, drops vertically some 80 meters in a series of cataracts. The river, aptly named after the indigenous term for “great water” forms a large bend in the shape of a horseshoe in the heart of the two parks and constitutes the international border between Argentina and Brazil before it flows into the mighty Parana River less than 25 kilometres downriver from the park.The surrounding subtropical rain forest has over 2,000 species of vascular plants and is home to the typical wildlife of the region: tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and caymans.
Date of Inscription: 1984
Ref: 303

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove,Nigeria.

The dense forest of the Osun Sacred Grove, is regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility Osun, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods. The landscape of the grove and its meandering river is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other deities. The sacred grove, which is now seen as a symbol of identity for all Yoruba people, is probably the last in Yoruba culture. It testifies to the once widespread practice of establishing sacred groves outside all settlements.

Date of Inscription: 2005

Ref: 1118

Desembarco del Granma National Park,Cuba.

Desembarco del Granma National Park, is situated in the South western tip of Cuba, and more specifically in the municipalities of Niquero and Pilon in Granma Province. The property lies within the tectonically active zone between the Caribbean and the North American Plate and conserves the limestone terraces of Cabo Cruz at the western end of the Sierra Maestra Mountains. . This area includes spectacular terraces and cliffs, as well as some of the most pristine and impressive coastal cliffs bordering the western Atlantic.

Date of Inscription: 1999

Ref: 889

Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site,Marshall Islands.

In the wake of World War II, in a move closely related to the beginnings of the Cold War, the United States of America decided to resume nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean, on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall archipelago. After the displacement of the local inhabitants, 67 nuclear tests were carried out from 1946 to 1958, including the explosion of the first H-bomb (1952). Bikini Atoll has conserved direct tangible evidence that is highly significant in conveying the power of the nuclear tests, i.e. the sunken ships sent to the bottom of the lagoon by the tests in 1946 and the gigantic Bravo crater. Equivalent to 7,000 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb, the tests had major consequences on the geology and natural environment of Bikini Atoll and on the health of those who were exposed to radiation. Through its history, the atoll symbolises the dawn of the nuclear age, despite its paradoxical image of peace and of earthly paradise. This is the first site from the Marshall Islands to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Date of Inscription: 2010

Ref: 1339

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.

This  National Park, covering an area of 32,092 ha, is one of the largest areas in East Africa . It is located in south-western Uganda, at the junction of the plain and mountain forests.This site is known for its exceptional biodiversity, with more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns  in East Africa. Many types of birds and butterflies can also be found there, as well as many endangered species, including the mountain gorilla.Community benefits arising from the mountain gorilla and other ecotourism may be the only hope for the future conservation of this unique site.

Date of Inscription: 1994

Ref: 682

Huascarán National Park,Peru.

Situated in the aptly named ("White Mountains"), Huascaran National Park protects the heart of the World's highest tropical mountain range in the central Peruvian Andes. The property of 340,000 hectares covers a diverse mountain landscape from around 2,500 m.a.s.l. and culminating in 27 snow-capped peaks above 6,000 m.a.s.l. It includes the spectacular Nevado Huascaran (Mount Huascaran), Peru's highest peak at 6,768 m.a.s.l., as the property named after the 16th Century Inca leader Huascar. The snow-covered peaks, the numerous tropical glaciers and glacial lakes, the high plateaus intersected by deep ravines with torrential creeks and the variety of vegetation types form a spectacular landscape of rare beauty.

Date of Inscription: 1985

Ref: 333

Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe AND Zambia.

The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world’s most spectacular waterfalls in the world greatest sheet of falling water. It is also significant worldwide for its exceptional geological and geomorphological features and active land formation processes with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray, mist and rainbows. This transboundary property extends over 6860 ha and comprises 3779 ha of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Zambia), 2340 ha of Victoria Falls National Park (Zimbabwe), 741 ha of the riverine strip of Zambezi National Park (Zimbabwe).  The waterfall stands at an altitude of about 915 m above sea level and spans to about 1708 m wide Sprays from this giant waterfall can be seen from a distance of 30 km from the Lusaka road, Zambia and 50 km from Bulawayo road, Zimbabwe. Basalts have been cut by a river system producing a series of eight spectacular gorges that serve as breeding sites for four species of endangered birds.
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Livingstone District of Southern Province of the Republic of Zambia and
Hwange District of Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe
Date of Inscription: 1989
Ref: 509

Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls, Zambia AND Zimbabwe.

The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world’s most spectacular waterfalls in the world greatest sheet of falling water. It is also significant worldwide for its exceptional geological and geomorphological features and active land formation processes with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray, mist and rainbows. This transboundary property extends over 6860 ha and comprises 3779 ha of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Zambia), 2340 ha of Victoria Falls National Park (Zimbabwe), 741 ha of the riverine strip of Zambezi National Park Zimbabwe.  The waterfall stands at an altitude of about 915 m above sea level and spans to about 1708 m wide Sprays from this giant waterfall can be seen from a distance of 30 km from the Lusaka road, Zambia and 50 km from Bulawayo road, Zimbabwe. Basalts have been cut by a river system producing a series of eight spectacular gorges that serve as breeding sites for four species of endangered birds.
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Livingstone District of Southern Province of the Republic of Zambia 
Hwange District of Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe
Date of Inscription: 1989
Ref: 509

Lake Malawi National Park,Malawi.

Located at the southern end of the great expanse of Lake Malawi, with its deep, clear waters and mountain backdrop, the national park is home to many hundreds of fish species, nearly all endemic. It is an area of exceptional natural beauty with its islands and clear waters set against the background of the slopes of Great African Rift Valley. Habitat types vary from rocky shorelines to sandy beaches and from wooded hillsides to swamps and lagoons. Granitic hills rise steeply from lakeshore and there are a number of sandy bays.

Date of Inscription: 1984

Ref: 289

Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town,Ethiopia.

The fortified historic town of Harar is located in the eastern part of Ethiopia,525 km from capital Addis Ababa, on a plateau with deep gorges surrounded by deserts and savannah. The walls surrounding this sacred Muslim city were built between the 13th and 16th centuries. Harar Jugol, said to be the fourth holiest city of Islam has 82 mosques, three of which date from the 10th century, and 102 shrines. But the townhouses with their exceptional interior design constitute the most spectacular part of Harar's cultural heritage.Thank you Emerich for this beautiful card. 

Date of Inscription: 2006

Ref: 1189rev

Postcard from USA.

        Thank you very much,Elan for the surprise gifts.

2016 Forever stamps on Postcard.

On envelope-

Additional Ounce stamp

2016 Forever stamp

2017 Forever stamp

Postcards from USA.

         Thank you Ronald for the nice postcards and beautiful stamps on the envelope.
2017 Stamp- Paintings - The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Andrew Wyeth, (1917-2009)

Ngorongoro Conservation Area.Tanzania.

This area spans vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests. It was established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, with wildlife coexisting with semi-nomadic Maasai people practicing traditional livestock grazing, which includes the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest caldera. The property has global importance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally threatened species, the density of wildlife inhabiting the area, and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and other animals into the northern plains. Extensive archaeological research has also yielded a long sequence of evidence of human evolution and human-environment dynamics, including early hominid footprints dating back 3.6 million years
Thank you Yang Yang Hong for this appealing and classy site card.
Date of Inscription: 1979
Ref: 39bis
2013 Stamp-Ceremonial Costumes of Tanzania - Kuria lady from Mara
2010 Stamp- Wild Animals of Africa

Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains .China.

This heritage site cover Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains and is renowned for its  conservation of the giant panda, recognized as a “National Treasure” in China

Mount Siguniang is famous for its beautiful scenery and the area is reputed to be the "Oriental Alps". Mount Siguniang National Park was identified as a UNESCO Heritage Site as part of Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries in 2006. The park comprises Mount Siguniang and the surrounding three valleys, namely Changping Valley, Haizi Valley and Shuangqiao Valley covering an area of 2,000 sq km.

The Changping Gully was developed earlier and is comparatively mature. It mainly consists of forests, valleys, and snowy mountains towering over valleys. The Four-Girl Mountain lies inside the gully.

This scenic card was sent by Wei

Date of Inscription: 2006

Ref: 1213

1998 Stamp-Lakes - Joint Issue with Switzerland

Postcard from Singapore.

Thank you A S Colin for the nice bird card with beautiful stamps.

2017 Stamp- The 50th Anniversary of the National Service

2017 Stamp- Birds - Kingfishers