Dec 31, 2010

China FDC on "China's Capital Market"



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China


China's Capital Market

Date of Issue : 12 December 2010

2-1 : Developing China's Capital Market
2-2 : Serving the National Economy

In 1990, Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange were successively established, marking the beginning of China's capital market. Over the past two decades, Chinese capital market has developed and expanded steadily and healthily. Its growth was accompanied by the settlement of such major issues as equity division, constant improvement of mechanisms, maturity of core market participants, and the eventual formation of a multi-level capital market. Remarkable contributions have been made to the development of national economy and the optimization of resource allocation. Today, Chinese citizens have built awareness of capitial, and China is accelerating its efforts to advance from an underdeveloped capital market to a capital-intensive nation.

Dec 30, 2010

Hong Kong FDC on "Lighthouses of Hong Kong"



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Hong Kong

Lighthouses of Hong Kong

Date of Issue : 29 December 2010

$1.40 - Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse
Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse, the first of its kind in Hong Kong, was lit up to help vessels navigate on 16 April 1875. The round stone tower is 9.7 metres high and white in colour. Its base, arched doorway and spiral staircase are of fine masonry. The iron door is adorned with geometric decoration at the top. The opening of Waglan Island Lighthouse years later in 1893 rendered Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse superfluous and it became inoperative in 1896. In 1975 the latter was automated and relit. Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse was declared a monument on 3 March 2006.

$1.80 - Old Green Island Lighthouse
The old Green Island Lighthouse began guiding seafarers across the waters on 1 July 1875. The small circular tower is constructed of granite, measuring about 12 metres in height. Its doorway features projected rough-faced quoins. The two cross-shaped openings on its wall, resembling gun-posts found in mediaeval European castles, facilitate ventilation and light penetration. Immediately after the new Green Island Lighthouse came into operation, the old lighthouse was decommissioned and later declared a monument on 7 November 2008.

$2.40 - New Green Island Lighthouse
Standing next to its predecessor, the new Green Island Lighthouse was constructed in 1904 and completed in 1905. The circular tower, built of granite and concrete, stands 17.5 metres high with a steel lantern at the top. It is painted white for high visibility, thermal insulation and structural protection. Its spiral staircase is made of fine masonry complete with beautiful railings. The entrance and windows, in the form of segmental arches, are decorated with ornamental plaster mouldings. The tower has been fully automated since the 1970s. Both the new and old Green Island Lighthouses were declared monuments on 7 November 2008.

$3 - Tang Lung Chau Lighthouse
Tang Lung Chau Lighthouse commenced helping mariners navigate the coastline on 29 April 1912. The skeletal steel tower is 11.8 metres high and painted white at the top. The adjoining brick house, furnished with a bedroom, a kitchen, a latrine and a storeroom, was the living quarters of the lighthouse keeper. With no well or fresh water supply on the island, rainwater was collected from the roof and diverted to an underground tank for storage and use.The now automated Tang Lung Chau Lighthouse was declared a monument on 29 December 2000.

$5 - Waglan Lighthouse
The first flash of light was beamed from Waglan Lighthouse on 9 May 1893. Its then state-of-the-art lamp burned mineral oil and was equipped with a rotating apparatus floating on mercury. During the Second World War, the lighthouse was extensively damaged and repairs began from 1945. Fully automated since August 1989, the lighthouse serves not only as a navigation aid but also an outpost for collecting meteorological data from the eastern part of the territory for analysis by the Hong Kong Observatory. Waglan Lighthouse was declared a monument on 29 December 2000.

Dec 29, 2010

Philippines Postcard - Cebu



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明信片
Bilhete Postal

Philippines

A beautiful Philippines multiview postcard showing the view of Cebu. The stamps are also nice too. Thank You very much !

Dec 28, 2010

Macau FDC on "Giant Pandas"



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Macau

Pandas Gigantes

Giant Pandas

Date of Issue : 18 December 2010

At the ceremony in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region on 19 December 2009, President Hu Jintao announced that the Central Government had decided to send a couple of giant pandas to Macau.

The pairs of giant pandas coming to Macau is a male and a female code-named 717 and 710 respectively, bred in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Born on 4 August and 26 July 2008 respectively, the male panda (code name: 717; infant name: Shuxiang) weighted 158g and the female (code name: 710; infant name: Qimiao) 132g at birth; they weighted 58kg and 48kg respectively when selected.

A "Giant Panda Naming Contest" was held in June 2010 to invite Macau residents to offer panda name suggestions, and finally "Kai Kai" and "Xin Xin" were chosen as the names of the couple of giant pandas coming to Macau. The names embody Macau citizens wish that the pair of giant pandas be happy living in Macau, and that all Macau citizens be as happy as the pandas' names sound.

A very sudden stamp issue from Macau, and so there was no special cancellation for this issue. I personally like this stamp issue very much.

Dec 27, 2010

Sri Lanka Postcard - Kandy



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Bilhete Postal

Sri Lanka

A nice postcard showing the nightview of Kandy. The Christmas stamps are beautiful. Thank You very much !

Dec 26, 2010

Tunisia Postcard - Tunis



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Bilhete Postal

Tunisia

A very nice Tunisia postcard showing the view of Tunis. The cancellation is clear and the stamp is beautiful. Thank You very much !

Dec 24, 2010

Bahrain Postcard - SH ISA Bridge



Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Bahrain

A Bahrain postcard showing the mainroad of the new SH ISA Bridge at Muharraq, Manama. I like the beautiful butterfly stamp.

Hong Kong Souvenir Cover on "Congratulations to Professor Charles K.KAO on his award of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics"



Souvenir Cover
紀念封
Envelope Comemorativo


Hong Kong

Congratulations to Professor Charles K.KAO on his award of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics

Date of Issue of the Stamp Sheetlet : 21 September 2010

Date Sent : 10 December 2010

To congratulate Professor Charles K. Kao on his award of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics, this definitive stamp sheetlet is issued to honour the Nobel Laureate, respectfully known as the "Father of Fibre Optics", for his distinctive contribution to global communications.

Born in Shanghai in 1933, Professor Kao moved to Hong Kong in 1949 and enrolled in St. Joseph's College. In July 1966, Professor Kao and his research partner published a paper entitled "Dielectric-Fibre Surface Waveguides for Optical Frequencies" in which they proposed transmitting light signals over glass fibres. The release date of the paper is widely regarded as the birthday of optical fibre communication.

From 1970 to 1974, Professor Kao taught in the new Department of Electronics of The Chinese University of Hong Kong as Reader and Chair, and later as the first Professor of Electronics. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the University from 1987 to 1996, and became Honorary Professor of Engineering after retirement.

The stamp sheetlet features the winning entry of the Secondary School Division under the "Stamp Sheetlet Design Competition in Honour of Professor Charles Kao's Being Awarded the Nobel Prize" organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

On the souvenir cover, there was an autograph of Professor Kao. We chose to sent this cover on 10 Dec, because the date 10 Dec was the date Professor Kao got the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009.

Dec 23, 2010

Israel ATM FDC on "Jerusalem Multinational Stamp Exhibition"



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Israel

Jerusalem Multinational Stamp Exhibition ATM

Date of Issue : 21 November 2010

Another very nice ATM FDC from Israel !

Dec 22, 2010

Korea Aerogramme



Aerogramme
航空郵簡
Bilhete Carta-Avião

South Korea

A very nice aerogramme from Korea, with both the pictorial cancellation and the datestamp postmark of Dongdaemun. Thank You very much !

Dec 21, 2010

Russia FDC on "The 200th Anniversary of Birth of Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov"



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Russia

The 200th Anniversary of Birth of Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov

Date of Issue : 25 November 2010

Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (25 November 1810 – 5 December 1881) was born in Moscow. He was a prominent Russian scientist, doctor, pedagogue, public figure, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1847). He is considered to be the founder of field surgery, and was one of the first surgeons in Europe to use ether as an anaesthetic. He was the first surgeon to use anaesthesia in a field operation (1847), invented various kinds of surgical operations, and developed his own technique of using plaster casts to treat fractured bones. His name is one of the most widely recognised in Russian medical history, and he is considered a Russian national hero.

A very very nice FDC from Russia. Thank You very much to my friend !

Dec 20, 2010

China FDC on "China's High-Speed Rail"



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China


China's High-Speed Rail

Date of Issue : 7 December 2010

1-1 : China's High-Speed Rail

Very interesting. The postage cost 7.4 yuan for this registered FDC, and the postal delivery time takes almost 2 weeks.

Dec 19, 2010

Philippines FDC on "Year of the Rabbit"





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Philippines

Year of the Rabbit

Date of Issue : 6 December 2010

7p : "Manigong Bagong Taon"
30p : "Happy New Year"

This is my third FDC on the topic of the Year of Rabbit. Thank You very much to my friend.

Dec 18, 2010

Indonesia FDC on "Provincial Flora Fauna Identity"





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Indonesia


Provincial Flora Fauna Identity

Date of Issue : 5 November 2010

Very nice Flora and Fauna FDCs from Indonesia.

Dec 17, 2010

Slovakia FDC on "Fight Against HIV"



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Slovakia

Fight Against HIV

Date of Issue : 1 December 2010

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that causes AIDS disease. It completely disrupts and destroys the human immunity. Infection may occur by transfer of bodily fluids, blood or during sexual intercourse; moreover, by using the same needle among drug addicts.

Yet, it is not possible to cure it. Therefore, it is very important to talk about it in families, to inform about it in media and to speak about it mainly with young people.

Dec 16, 2010

Paraguay Postcard - Jesuit Ruins



Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Paraguay

A nice view postcard showing the Jesuit Ruins located in Itapúa Department, Paraguay. The stamps are beautiful too. Thank You very much to my friend.

Dec 15, 2010

Estonia FDC on "Christmas"





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Estonia

Christmas

Date of Issue : 25 November 2010.

Dec 14, 2010

Nigeria Postcard - Lagos



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Bilhete Postal

Nigeria

A black and white postcard showing a view of Lagos, Nigeria. Thank You very much to my friend.

Dec 13, 2010

India Postcard - Goa Anjuna Flea Market



Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

India

A nice card showing the beautiful view of the flea market on Anjuna beach, Goa. Thank You very much to my friend who send me the card during his vacation in Goa.

Dec 10, 2010

Israel FDC on "Bible Stories : The Parting of the Red Sea"



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Israel

Bible Stories : The Parting of the Red Sea

Date of Issue : 21 November 2010

The story of the parting of the Red Sea, which appears in Chapter 14 of the Book of Exodus is a key point in the exodus from Egypt:
Shortly after permitting the People of Israel to leave and be free, Pharaoh changed his mind and led a large military force to chase after them and return them to slavery. The People of Israel were afraid and anxious when they saw the Egyptian army's chariots approaching quickly, closing in on their camp on the shore of Red Sea. A miracle was needed to show the people that God's might was protecting them and would lead them to their new land.

It was late evening when God commanded Moses to raise his staff toward the sea that blocked the People of Israel's escape route. The sea split in two and created a path through which the people of Israel passed throughout the night. At dawn, when the last of them reached the other side, God commanded Moses to raise his staff once again toward the sea, which then returned to its former state and drowned the Egyptian army as it pursued the People of Israel.

The faith that motivated the People of Israel to take the risk and walk between the threatening walls of water created by the split of the former slaves and constitued an important and vital step in the process of unifying the People of Israel.

Another excellent FDC from Israel. I like it. Thank you very much to my friend !

Dec 9, 2010

China FDC on "Traditional Chinese Medicine Store"



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China


Traditional Chinese Medicine Store

Date of Issue : 20 November 2010

4-1 : Tongren Tang, Beijing (北京同仁堂)
4-2 : Huqing Yu Tang, Hangzhou (杭州胡慶余堂)
4-3 : Lei Yongshang, Shanghai (上海雷允上堂)
4-4 : Chen Liji, Guangzhou (廣州陳李濟堂)

Dec 8, 2010

Guatemala Postcard - Alta Verapaz



Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Guatemala

A very nice Guatemala multiview postcard showing the views of Alta Verapaz. There are views of Semuc Champey and caves in Lanquin, a waterfall and an Orchid of the region. This is my first postcard by registered mail. Very clear cancellation too. Thank You very much !

Dec 7, 2010

Korea FDC on "New Year's Greetings Stamp"



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South Korea

New Year's Greetings Stamp

Date of Issue : 1 December 2010

Stamp Design : A rabbit standing on the snow

This coming 2011 is the year of the rabbit.

The rabbit has been the symbol of long-life in an idyllic, peaceful world. In the mural paintings of Goguryeo ancient tombs located in Deokhwari, a white rabbit appears with a toad, the symbol of longevity. It has been said that if a person spins yarn or weaves a cloth on the Sangmyo day, the first rabbit day of the first month in the Lunar New Year, the person will be blessed with longevity. This created the custom where women spin yarn, weave cloth or step on the loom, if they had one.

In folk tales, a rabbit, very cute and lovely animal with round eyes has been described as being very clever, even though it is weak and of slight build. As seen in the fables about a rabbit that defeated a tiger or a rabbit that fooled a terrapin, rabbits have always been described as a nimble, intelligent animal that righteously faces up to the bigger, stronger animals.

The New Year’s greetings stamp has been issued as a photostorage stamp since 2001. For this year, the rabbit’s face, body and the pearl-white snowflakes are printed with glow-in-the-dark ink, glowing in the darkness.

This is my second Year of Rabbit FDC up to now. Very nice.

Dec 6, 2010

Indonesia FDC on "Marine Life 2010"



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Indonesia


Marine Life 2010

Date of Issue : 24 October 2010

A really nice WWF stamp set showing the Sea Turtle from Indonesia.