Luoyang, China

For the end, an interesting Chinese UNESCO card.

Here you can see a part of the Longman Grottoes or Longman Caves, located near Luoyang, the Henan Province. They contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907). These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.
While the cave sculptures of the Tang Dynasty are of a vigorous, elegant and realistic style, the stone statues in Fengxian Cave, carved under the edict of Empress Wuzetian (reigned 690-705), can be considered as the most typical of the period. These are composed of a 17.14-meter-high statue of Vairocana Buddha, and a series of pairs of Bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, protectors and worshippers. The huge statue of Vairocana Buddha is today praised as being the quintessence of Buddhist sculpture in China.
On November 30, 2000, the Longmen Grottoes were approved by the 24th UN Heritage Commission to be put on the List of World Cultural Heritage.

the stamp on the left is from 1997 from a set of two of a joint stamp issue with New Zealand called "Flowers" to promote the friendship between the two countries.
The green one comes from a set of two stamps as well, issued in 2002 under the subject of Protecting the common homeland of mankind, while the stamp on the very right is from 2001, from a set of four stamps of an issue called "A Tale of Xu Xian and the White Snake---A Folk Story", and this stamp in particular shows the Meeting at the Broken Bridge.
I dedicate this card to Daniela, the absolute Chinese lover.....in case she is reading this :)

till next time....