May 31, 2011

Zambia Postcard - Victoria Falls



Postcard

明信片
Bilhete Postal

Zambia

A nice postcard showing the aerial view of Victoria Falls and Bridge, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. I also like the beautiful bird definitive stamp issued in 2001. Thank You very much to my friend !

May 30, 2011

China FDC on "Xian International Horticultural Expo 2011"





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China


Xian International Horticultural Expo 2011

Date of Issue : 28 April 2011

Both the emblem and Mascot for the Expo are named "Changan Flower".
(Upper FDC)
2-1 : Emblem
The emblem takes the shape of a flower composed of petals arranged in ascending order, from the triangle of the innermost layer to the hexagon of the outer layer, forming an auspicious oriental flower seal.

(Lower FDC)
2-2 : Mascot
The mascot is a cartoon image designed with inspiration from the city flower of Xian - the pomegranate blossom. Featuring a completely pomegranate red body and an adorable, vivid facial expression, the image embodies the traditional culture and folk customs of Xian.

The International Horticultural Expo 2011 is scheduled to be held from 28 April through 22 October in Xian, capital of Shaanxi Province.

The Expo site spans 418 hectares, of which 188 hectares are covered in water. Landmark buildings highlighting the 109 outdoor gardens include Changan Tower, Theme Pavilion, Greenhouse and Guangyun Entrance.

May 29, 2011

Estonia FDC on "The Struve Geodetic Arc"


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Estonia

The Struve Geodetic Arc

Date of Issue : 6 May 2011

The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from the Black Sea to Norway’ northern coast on the initiative of Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve (1793-1864) for the measurement of the shape and size of the planet Earth. The length of the arc is 2,820 km. When the arc was created and more than a century later it was the longest measured meridian arc. It passes through the territory of today’s Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles and 265 main station points. Thirty-four of the original station points today survive, and three of them are situated in Estonia, one in the Tartu Observatory and two in Simuna in the West-Viru County. Since 2005 the Struve Geodetic Arc is a UNESCO world heritage site.

May 28, 2011

Portugal FDC on "Centenary of UPAEP"


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Portugal

Centenário da UPAEP - 100 Anos Unindo Culturas

Centenary of UPAEP

Date of Issue : 6 May 2011

The Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (UPAEP), based in Montevideo, Uruguay, was founded in 1911 as a restricted union of the Universal Postal Union. It is an association of postal authorities of following countries: Netherlands Antilles, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, USA, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela.

May 27, 2011

Slovakia FDC on "EUROPA 2011: Forests - National Park Poloniny"


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Slovakia

EUROPA 2011: Forests - National Park Poloniny

Date of Issue : 6 May 2011

The National Park Poloniny is the eastern-most Slovak large protected area. It lies on the Slovak-Polish-Ukrainian border. The forests are dominant in the national park – they cover more than 90% of the area. Those most precious ones are declared to be the national natural preserves or natural preserves to protect the old forest community.

May 26, 2011

Rwanda Postcard



Postcard

明信片
Bilhete Postal

Rwanda

A nice postcard showing two very lovely girls from Rwanda. Thank You very much !

May 25, 2011

Zimbabwe Postcard - Victoria Falls



Postcard

明信片
Bilhete Postal

Zimbabwe

A long and nice postcard showing the Victoria Falls. My friend is so kind to affix the Valentine's Day and National Heroes stamps issued in 2008. Because of the very high inflation rate, Zimbabwe has primarily been using non-denominated stamps with Z (Zimbabwe), A (Africa), E (Europe) and R (Rest of World) which pay the first-step postal rate to those places. Thank You very much to my friend !

May 24, 2011

Vatican Postcard - St Peter's Square



Postcard

明信片
Bilhete Postal

Vatican

A very nice postcard showing the St Peter's Square with 3 beautiful stamps affixed on the card. I very much like the Pope. So, I especially like the Beatification of Pope John Paul II stamp. Thank You very much to my friend !

May 23, 2011

Indonesia FDC on "Healthy and Safe Internet"


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Indonesia


Healthy and Safe Internet

Date of Issue : 21 April 2011

May 22, 2011

China FDC on "Centenary of Tsinghua University"


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China


Centenary of Tsinghua University

Date of Issue : 24 April 2011

Tsinghua University was founded in 1911, originally under the name "Tsinghua School". Upholding the motto of "Self-Discipline and Social Commitment", the spirit of "Actions Speak Louder than Words", the principles of "Preciseness, Diligence, Integrity and Creativity", and the tradition of seeking excellence and contributing to the nation, the prestigious school has produced some 70,000 graduates.

May 21, 2011

Estonia FDC on "EUROPA - Forests"


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Estonia

EUROPA - Forests

Date of Issue : 28 April 2011

Estonian forests belong to the mixed forests zone and the most widespread forest type is where evergreen conifers dominate, but there are also deciduous forests. The most common tree being the pine, followed by the birch and the spruce. The biggest forests in the country lie in the north eastern and central parts of Estonia. It is quite common to meet rabbits, foxes or roe deer, and the biggest animal is the elk. The forests are home also for a number of species on the verge of extinction, such as the European mink, the dormouse and the flying squirrel.

May 20, 2011

Latvia FDC on "Struve Geodetic Arc"


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Latvia

Struve Geodetic Arc

Date of Issue : 5 May 2011

The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through ten countries and over 2,820 km, which yielded the first accurate measurement of a meridian.

The chain was established and used by the German-born Russian scientist Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve in the years 1816 to 1855 to establish the exact size and shape of the earth. The Arc's first point is located in Tartu Observatory, where Struve conducted much of his research.

The Latvia Struve Geodetic Arc are in the region of Jekabpils, and the region of Madona. The point in Jekabpils town resides on the left bank side of river Daugava in the park named after Struve. The Struve Geodetic Arc point is marked by cross on a small grounded concrete post. A memorial stone is erected at the site.

In Latvia, there are 16 of 265 points of Struve arc, and 2 of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage.

A very nice FDC from Latvia. I just like the miniature sheet. Thank You very much to my friend !

May 19, 2011

Mozambique Postcard


Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Mozambique

Another very nice postcard showing the people of Mozambique. Thank You very much to my friend !

May 18, 2011

Korea FDC on "Family"


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South Korea

Family

Date of Issue : 13 May 2011

The new stamps features the works of Jieun SHIN (Korea) and Trisha Co Reyes (Philippines) that were awarded the grand prize and award of excellence, respectively, in the 16th International Postage Stamp Design Contest held in 2010.

(Left)
Youth category Grand Prize : Ji-eun SHIN (18 years old, Seongnam Information Industry High School, Korea)

(Right)
Youth category Award of Excellence : TRISHA CO REYES (12 years old, St. Stephen's High School, Philippines)

May 17, 2011

Lithuania FDC on "Piligrim Route of John Paul II"


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Lithuania

Piligrim Route of John Paul II

Date of Issue : 7 May 2011

Stamp : John Paul II and Cathedral of Vilnius

Pope John Paul II, called the Pilgrim Pope, has served as the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years. During his papacy, John Paul II visited 129 countries, including Lithuania on 4-8 September 1993.

To mark the Pope‘s apostolic visit to Lithuania, the main shrines of Lithuania, the ones connected with this Pope have been joined into the Piligrim Route of John Paul II. In total, fourteen sacral monuments have been included into the Piligrim Route: Vilnius Cathedral Basilica, the Gate of Dawn Chapel and the Church of St. Therese, the Way of the Cross in Vilnius, the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Trakai, Kaunas Cathedral Basilica, the Christ’s Resurrection Church in Kaunas, Pažaislis Camaldolese Monastery ensemble, the Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Chapel of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Šiluva and the surrounding area, the Hill of Crosses, Šiauliai Cathedral, the ensemble of Tytuvėnai Church and Monastery, Marijampolė Chapel and the Chapel of the Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis in Lūginė, Žemaičių Kalvarija (Samogitian Calvary) Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Visitation and the Chapels of the Way of the Cross, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Pivašiūnai.

Really a great surprise to get such a nice Pope John Paul II FDC from Lithuania. I very much like it. My friend is really very kind to me. Thank You very much to my friend !

May 16, 2011

Slovakia FDC on "Beatification of John Paul II"


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Slovakia

Beatification of John Paul II

Date of Issue : 29 April 2011

John Paul II – with proper name Karol Wojtyla – was born on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. In a conclave on October 16, 1978 the cardinals elected him to be the 264th successor of Apostle Peter – the Pope. He was the first Pope of Slavic origin. His pontificate lasted 26 years, 5 months and 17 days. He died on Saturday in the Easter octave on April 2, 2005.

The Pontificate of John Paul II was the third longest. During this time he made 104 foreign apostolic trips (three of them to Slovakia – in 1990, 1995, 2003), he issued 14 encyclicals, he beatified and canonized 1,340 people.

The beatification process started on May 13, 2005 and on January 14, 2011 Pope Benedict XVI signed a decree of his beatification right after the Congregation for Saints Causes confirmed his first miracle. The Committee confirmed that Pope John Paul II cured a French nun Marie Simon-Pierre from Parkinson’s disease. Benedict XVI set out the date and place of beatification – Rome, May 1, 2011 (Sunday in the Easter octave).

The postage stamp contains the Pope’s portrait. Surcharge on FDC shows the floor plan of the Basilica and St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican and the stamps contain the Pope’s hands folded in prayer, his signature and his slogan TOTUS TUUS – totally yours (Maria).

A really very nice Slovak FDC. I very much like the Pope. My friend was so kind to affix also the John Paul II stamps (in old Slovak currency) of 2003 and 1995 on the FDC. I like it very much ! Thank You very much !

May 15, 2011

Saint Lucia Postcard - Marigot Bay


Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Saint Lucia

A very nice postcard showing the bird's eye view of Marigot Bay, St Lucia. Thank You very much to my friend !

Latvia Postcard



Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Latvia

A card showing the sculpture "Madonna on a Crescent Moon" (15th cent) from the collections of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. Thank You very much !

May 13, 2011

Macau Postage Due Cover to Johor Bahru, Malaysia


Postage Due Cover
欠資封
Sobrescrito com Selos de Porteado

Macau Malaysia

Date Sent: 24 Mar 2011

Macau ATM Stamp (Right)

(Upper)
~~~ Ponte Flor de Lótus (Lotus Flower Bridge) MOP0.5 ATM Stamp (Issued on 01 June 1999)
(Lower)
~~~
Património Mundial (World Heritage) MOP0.5 ATM Stamp (Issued on 31 July 2008)

Malaysia Postage Due Stamp (Left)
~~~ Issued on 15 September 1986

The cover above was sent from Macau Maritime Terminal Post Office on 24 Mar 2011. I just affixed 2 Macau ATM stamps with a total face value of MOP1 out of the normal airmail postage of MOP4. I asked my friend in Singapore to help me to collect the postage due cover at Malaysia and paid the postage due and sent it back to me. My friend was so kind to help me to do the necessary work. On the cover, you can see the round-shaped T 3.00/4.0 postmark from Macau and a red triangle-shaped T postmark from Malaysia. This cover is really nice. Thank You very much to my friend.

May 11, 2011

China FDC on "Ancient Chinese Calligraphy - Cursive Script"






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China


Ancient Chinese Calligraphy - Cursive Script

Date of Issue : 15 April 2011

(Top FDC)
4-1 : Calligraphy of Recovery
Featuring single and brief characters, clerical cursive script (zhang cao) is the early form of cursive script. Some of its strokes remain the style of "li shu", or clerical script. Ping Fu Tie (Calligraphy of Recovery), calligraphed by Lu Ji (261 - 303, a scholar of the Western Jin) on a hemp paper scroll, is the oldest existing calligraphy copybook of "zhang cao", now in the collection of Palace Museum in Beijing. It is calligraphed with a worn-out writing brush.

(2nd FDC)
4-2 : Calligraphy of Early Moon
Developed by Eastern Jin Calligraphers, modern cursive script (jin cao) features exquiste lines and dots as well as unrestrained strokes. The best representatives of "jin cao" are works by Wang Xizhi (303 - 361) and his son Wang Xianzhi. Chu Yue Tie (Calligraphy of Early Moon) was a letter from Wang Xizhi to his friend. The original copy was lost, and the version collected by Liaoning Provincial Museum is an imitation dating to the Tang Dynasty.

(3rd FDC)
4-3 : Four-Poem Calligraphy Copybook
Developed by Tang Calligraphers, wild cursive script (kuang cao) is the most free and unrestrained type, exemplified by the writings of Tang Calligraphers Zhang Xu and Huai Su. Gu Shi Si Tie (Four-Poem Calligraphy Copybook), now collected by Liaoning Provincial Museum, is a long paper scroll devoted to poems calligraphed by Zhang Xu during the Tang Dynasty.

(4th FDC)
4-4 : Autobiography
Developed by Tang Calligraphers, wild cursive script (kuang cao) is the most free and unrestrained type, exemplified by the writings of Tang Calligraphers Zhang Xu and Huai Su. Zi Xu Tie (Autobiography), by Huai Su (737 - 799), an eminent monk and calligrapher of the Tang, is currently housed by Taipei Palace Museum. This long paper scroll depict the author's calligraphy experience and communication with other scholars.

One of the five major calligraphy styles of China, cursive script (cao shu) originated in the late Qin dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC), matured in the Eastern Han (25 - 220), and reached its pinnacle in the Eastern Jin (317 - 420). During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the calligraphy style developed new genres. Originally created for fast writing, it later bacame an art form. It features concise forms and continous brushwork as well as such processing as association, omission and symbolization on strokes of Chinese characters.

May 10, 2011

Indonesia FDC on "Traditional Textile of Indonesia"


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Indonesia


Traditional Textile of Indonesia

Date of Issue : 30 March 2011

May 9, 2011

Israel ATM FDC on "Persian Fallow Deer"


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Israel

Persian Fallow Deer ATM

Date of Issue : 12 April 2011