The Ease of sending Postcards in Guangzhou

As i had previously mentioned, finding postcards here has been far from an easy task...they say you can find them in post offices, but from what Ive seen so far it is usually those sold in booklets (and with a terrrible choice) or more like greeting cards...and then I recalled I saw once a shop at the Shamian Island selling cards, so the other day I decided to go there and do my first postcards' spree...which went kinda successful...why kinda? Well ok, the postcards' choice may not be vast but is acceptable (it is still better than nothing), and they are at a quite reasonable price of 2 CNY, which equals something like 30 cents. For starters I got few copies of each of these three...sorry for the not the best images, but no scanner here...

and to my delight the lady working there also asked me if I needed stamps, and I was like, whoo, this solves a big problem, sparing me the trouble of making myself understood at the post office with my non-existent conversing in Chinese...so I ask for 15 stamps, for the 15 postcards I bought, she types numbers into her calculator and gives me a final sum that leaves a perplexed expression on my face....hm, sorry, how much is the postage??? - 8 yuan she replies (1.20 dollars) - I know postage in some countries is high but thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of cards I have received from China, I immediately knew something was fishy here (otherwise I would have probably believed her and fell in her trap - thank God I actually said NO when she previously said she was gonna stick the stamps on the cards for me...very crafty from her side - and the only reason I said NO was because I do want to arrange the layout on my own cards not because I actually suspected she would try to trick me..

Anyways, after I told her 8 CNY is too much and that I would take the cards only, she said - ok 6 yuan, good price! good price! - who the hell is bargaining for a postage rate??? it is either 6 or 8 or whatever other amount it may be but this was just an additional sign she wanted to rip me off (and she was disappointed her plan didnt work out - I wonder how many tourists have fell into this trap at this particular spot)

after this I asked the Chinese community at postcrossing about the postage rate and believe it or not it is either 3 CNY for surface mail or 4.5 CNY for airmail, but of course it is neither 6 nor 8. 

I know that with mail from China in the end it may make no difference whether it is airmail or not, but I decided to go with the airmail and see how it goes

so armoured with a dictionary, pieces of paper on which I have written the amount of stamps I need (simply as 15 x 4.5 CNY), i go to a small post office that is right in my street (how convenient) and ask for stamps (thankfully they did speak English in the amount necessary to get the stamps). So I buy 15 stamps, 4.5 CNY each, the lady at the counter types in the numbers on her calculator and shows me the final sum of 135 CNY - I already had a 100 CNY bill in my hands and again give the calculator a confused look (I really start wondering what the calculators have against me). The lady at the counter reluctantly takes my bill and says, but this is too little money...I know she may not be versed enough with the numbers in English, but I thought that maybe some common sense should have told her that 15 stamps of that rate could not possibly cost 135 CNY! So starting to get a bit pissed, since I dont know anymore if someone is trying to rip me off or if it was an unintentional mistake, I open the calculator on my phone and am about to show her the math, when she does her math again on her own calculator, and oh look. this time it showed 67.5...and she cant believe her eyes, she is all surprised..so she does the calculation again - 67.5....and then again, just to make sure - yeah 67.5...so I finally manage to buy stamps at the ACTUAL price  and go back home 

for my 'experimental' postcards' sending from China, I decided to go with the official cards, mainly cos I haven't sent any since I left Macedonia, so I do want to work on it a bit and get it back to shape...so i get the addresses (nothing exciting there) and write my first 5 cards out of the 15 addresses, and just in case add EUROPE after the country's name to the cards going to EUROPE - and the next day excitedly go to the post office (a different one since it was on my way to where I was going...I see a counter with stamps so I ask the lady where could I mail my cards - she takes them, inspects the stamps and if the postage is sufficient - passed the test. And then she says 'but you also need to write the country;s name in Chinese'. Ok..wait, what?????!!!  (honestly, this thing did cross my mind but just crossed it since I remember most of the cards I had received from China, had something in Chinese near or below the name of the country) - I thought it may not be a real need to write them in Chinese but turns out I was wrong - first she couldnt read the names of the countries in English, I had to tell her that one was for Taiwan, and she was kind enough to write it down for me in Chinese, and that the rest were for Europe (which she had to look up on the phone for how to write it in Chinese) - yeah, she was helpful indeed, but I certainly cannot always go to the PO and ask for the people there to write the names in Chinese...so here is my clumsy attempt to do so...I still havent finished nor sent these, but makes me wonder if they are ever gonna reach their real destination - and before you ask me, no I absolutely do not know the names of the countries in Chinese - just relying on google here ....

so that's not really how I expected my first attempt of postcards sending to be :D  let's see what the outcome of this story is going to be...

Anyways, if you like one of these cards let me know and Ill try to mail one to you...if I manage to get your country's name right in Chinese that is :P 

Valentine's Day-hype in China

Walking through the streets of Guangzhou tonight (my initial idea was to go and see some of the Lantern Festivals' performances), I ended up being amused by the hundreds and hundreds of Chinese people celebrating Valentine's Day.
The streets were generally full with people holding boxes full of flowers, trying to sell them to the passers by.
It amuses me that Chinese people go crazy about all these Western holidays but the internet is still greatly censored and it sometimes takes magic to make websites like gmail, facebook, youtube, work properly...

well yeah....been really silent here for months...frankly I didn't expect it that I would be so unable to keep posting here, even if not regularly ...so yeah. life's been busy and tiring, but well, that's the price you have to pay for the experiences :)

in case you havent noticed I had renamed this blog into 'postcards and travels' since obviously for the time being it will be less postcards and more travel pictures + i bought a new camera just before New Year so at least I've been able to take some decent and worth-to-show pictures...so hopefully would be able to share those with you sooner or later...at least with those of you who are not on FB - I've already done my bragging share there :D

Anyways, hope you are all well...and if you are maybe wondering how come you still havent found a Chinese card from me in the mailbox..well cos I still havent sent any..finding postcards here has been a real challenge, and I actually dread going to the post office and asking for stamps with my still non-existent Chinese :D :D :D

Oh well....

Hello from the other side....

sooo, finally a few words from here....from the far-away land of China! (well, that depends where you actually are...it may not be THAT far-away...in fact, China may be nearer than Macedonia to your place :)

anyways, not so long ago I kinda announced that I may be going to China....and that 'maybe' turned into 'i should really use this opportunity' which finally ended into me landing here in Guangzhou exactly one month ago...yep, believe it or not it's been a month since I've been living here. I know I should have made some post earlier, but for the first days I was all jet-lagged, and then there have been many things to do...and then when I have some free time, all I feel like doing is sleep sleep sleep, or just watch a movie....but I believe that I should really kinda commemorate this small anniversary and just say hello and say Im safe and sound and all :)

I could talk about my impressions for hours and hours...frankly, I feel as if I've been here for like a year...Macedonia feels so distant at the moment that it makes me even sad...I don't miss the country or the places there, but I really miss my family and friends, but I guess that's kinda normal...I miss them even when I go on short trips and all. However, this time is really different, and I still don't know for how long this trip of a life time will last, but I hope I won't have to pack my bags next month and go back home :)

I still haven't sent a single card from here, for two reasons - first, financially I am trying to be wise and not spend money on cards and stamps and stuff, and second, I still haven't even seen a place selling cards which is kinda weird since the city is just HUGE!! Yeah, HUGE!! 14 million people give or take, third biggest in China, and yet I still haven't spotted postcards....but I found a philatelic shop though, which may be even more dangerous! :D

But I have this feeling the language barrier will be a problem...you know, I've never felt more miserable in my life for not knowing a particular language, but here, I do..I feel like I've just dropped from outer space and have been randomly thrown here, feeling completely lost when it comes to the language...I mean, geez, it is even impossible to comprehend a single thing, not to mention that the only way I could make most of the people understand me is body language...cos no, they DON'T speak English and no they won't even try (most of the people - but there is this girl working in a supermarket nearby, and she really tries hard to talk to me in English, I really love her for that!

Speaking of mail...there should be mailboxes in the building where I am, but I still haven't seen them...plus I still don't feel comfortable receiving mail here...but my Macedonian address is always valid, so if you send me something there, my parents will take care of it, just that I'm not sure when I will be able to let you know it has arrived =/

Well, I have seen just a few places here, as I said, whenever I have some free time, I feel like sleeping..plus the weather here is sooo terrible (very hot and humid, or hot and with rain/showers) that often you don't even feel like going anywhere :)

But here are a few pics, just so you don't forget me :))

this is the view from my apartment (:

Yeah, I really am in China, in case you thought I was joking :D

If you wanna know whether I like it here or not...I don't know, everything is still interesting and there are so many new things and all...but I think that my adjustment has been going pretty well, and that's kinda really important to me...and thank God there are some other Macedonian expats here, so in the end you don't feel THAT lonely in a city of 14 million people. Of course, everyone is busy and all, but in a way it does feel comforting to know someone from your own country (one is actually a dear colleague of mine from University, so that makes things even better! :))

Funny thing about these two cards is that I received them both as a part of a swap...I don't know why I would swap for two flag cards, or maybe it was within a short period of time...who would remember, but anyways, I love the pictorial postmark on the first one...maybe if I am lucky, I will get something nice like this in that philately shop :)

However, I should do a better job in reading stamps from scans instead actual cards....I promise to do a better job for next time!

as for that next time, I can't tell when it;s gonna happen...you know, apart from the busy life, things like gmail and fb and blogger don't really function here in China unless you use some VPN services, which are not 100% functional, so sometimes you just feel like cut-off from the real world, which from time to time may not be such a bad idea :)

Anyways, big hug to you all, and see you around, sooner or later! :)

Shenzhou 7 Mission, China

Next come two great space-related cards from China...erm, have I mentioned that I have this idea of going to China for a year in September? Nope? Ermm, well, yeah, it's an idea I've been having for a while now...have no idea if it will come true or not, but well, I guess I should start spreading the word slowly so in case it happens it ain't too shocking :)
Though it is my parents who still have no clue about this idea since I am sure they would be the most shocked ones (and most probably disapprove it), but personally I just feel that this is something I have to do...unless I find some freakin' super, extra-paying job here in the meantime...for which the prospects right now are like non-existent....

Anyways, whatever happens, you'll be timely informed - but for now, let's stick to the cards :)

Received these two in a swap 3 years ago, from frankly, have NO idea whom...

They were issued by the State Postal Bureau in 2009, commemorating the Shenzhou 7 Mission - Shenzhou is a spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program.  

There have been 10 missions launched in total, and these two cards commemorate the 7th one which was the third manned spaceflight mission of the Chinese Spaceflight program, carried out by crew members Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming (I believe that the upper card shows Boming).

It was launched 25 September 2008, by a Long March 2F rocket which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 21:10 CST. The mission lasted three days, after which the craft landed safely in Siziwang Banner in central Inner Mongolia on 28 September 2008, at 17:37 CST
.

Here is how Shenzhou 7 looked like.
The next mission for Shenzhou 11 is planned for 2016 or later....who knows, maybe it will happen when I'm in China :D

no stamps, since both cards came in an envelope...and this is how the backside lookslike...with something that may be considerd as an printed stamp.

Sayram Lake, China

yeah, this is like one of the most fantastic and absolutely breathtaking cards from China I have received...EVER EVER EVER...the fact that there is so much blue in it is like a cherry on top!

Received it last year from Di for the Choose a Country RR.
Here you can see the Sayram Lake of Xinjiang.
It is the largest alpine lake in Xinjiang (458 km²) and also the highest(2,070 m).
In the Kazakh language Sayram means 'blessing'.
It is said that it was composed of the tears of a couple of Kazak young lovers. A beautiful girl and a young man were deeply in love. One day, a cruel devil was captivated by the girl's beauty. He captured the girl and confined her to his residence. The girl took a chance to escape, but the devil found out very soon and went after the girl. She was forced to jump into an abyss. Later, her boyfriend heard of this and he was so sad that he jumped into the abyss to be reunited with his lover. Their painful tears flooded into the abyss and formed Sayram Lake
Legends are always nicer than the actual scientific stuff..even though rather cheesy sometimes :)

look at those gorgeous cat stamps!! Issued in a set of 4 cats' stamps in 2013. Love them!!
Next to it is a stamp representing Dai Architecture, issued in 1998 in a set of 4 stamps...and then you have the small green one representing the environment - a definitive issued in a set of 2 stamps in 2002

Humble Administrator's Garden, China

well, one more card for today, this one coming from China...and this place has a very funny name I must say =D

The Humble Administrator's Garden is one of the four best known gardens in China. It falls into eastern, central and western parts, with a dwelling quarter in front of it, a typical layout in the private gardens in Suzhou. In 1997, the Classical Gardens in Suzhou were inscribed on the List of World Heritage.
It is the largest garden in Suzhou and is considered by some to be the finest garden in the entire southern China.
For another Suzhou Garden, click here

and two really nice stamps! The left one was issued in 2012, as a part of 3 Merchant Trade stamps (this one in particular bears the title "Achievements (Headquarters, Hong Kong)", while the other one is from 2011, issued in a set of 4 stamps about the Universiade Shenzhen 2011.

So, that would be all for today...thank you for reading..feel free to comment...and a huge thank you and big hug to all who have been so supportive over the past few weeks...I really really appreciate it!
Wishing you all a lovely week ahead!

the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Eastern Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty, China

my last card for today is one nice UNESCO Whs place from China, showing the Xiaoling Mausoleum, and is part of the Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

so one of the things I hate about that UNESCO list, as I had probably said before, is that under one inscription, you have DOZEN of different places, scattered all over the country...so how am I supposed to collect them all, and actually keep track in the first place of everything that falls under one title?
I mean, it is the same about Macedonia...you have Ohrid and its cultural heritage...but do you actually know how many sites are in there? just many! and one can never be sure if he has them all or not...*sigh* oh well...that's why long time ago I gave up on focusing on collecting all the UNESCO whs places in the world...I still like them and would like to get them, but i do not focus my energy and resources on it...

as for the Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, they includ tombs and burial complexes, dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties of China. In total, there are around 14 tombs or tomb groups added to this WHS...
the back of the card says that this is the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Eastern Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty and that the mausoleum was occupied by the Shuzhi Emperor from the Qing Dynasty...so i am to believe the back of the card, coz otherwise, im pretty lost :)

there are two nice stamps on the card. the top, bluish stamp was issued in 2007 in a set of 6 Olympic Games stamps, showing different venues and the one here shows the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center...while the one below is from 1997 from a set of 4 stamps representing the Architecture of the Dong Nationality, and this one in particular is called 'Wind and Rain Bridge over the River'.

So, thank you for reading guys and for maybe still dropping by despite the fact there was nothing new to read for a long while...have a lovely day...and hope to see you soon again! :)

Taklamakan Desert, China

my next card is a great official I received from China....

CN-410694

The card shows camels in the Taklamakan Desert, which is situated in the northwest of China, in the XinJian region.

The vastness of deserts has always amazed me....as well as the fear of 'would i be able to find my way if i ever get lost in one'. It is a public secret that i am terrible in orienteering myself..even with a map and buildings around which serve as key points..you know that saying "Why men don't listen and women can't read maps?"...well it is perfectly applicable to me, so if you let me lead you somewhere which is not my hometown, make sure, you're gonna get lost...so it's up to you to take the risk :)

now, looking at this map and the journey on it, reminds me of something i watched not so long ago, about a group of Chinese students going to school and the road they take in order to get there....you don't need to understand Chinese in order to understand the video....and after you watch it, maybe next time you complain your way to school/work is difficult, think about the kids here....and if you had ever actually had to endure something even close to this to get to where you had set off....and lest not forget, it is children we are talking about here

there are four great stamps on the card...ok, the right one is already preprinted, matching the postcard. as for the other three..the one next to it was issued in 1993 in a set of two camels' stamps. The birds are definitives from a set of 3 issued in 2002, while the last stamp was issued in 1998 and is a joint issue with Switzerland

Lake Namtso, China

My last card for today is one fantastic view of Lake Namtso...

I even wonder at times if this is a real photograph or a painting...but when I take a better look, it does look like a real photo....and i just LOVE the stillness of the image...and the chilling feeling it gives....yeah, nowadays I love chilling images, when I cant have them for real...but you are aware that once winter comes i will be striving for sunshine cards and such :)

This lovely lake is a mountain lake on the border between Damxung County of Lhasa Prefecture and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and is renowned as one of the most beautiful places in the Nyainqêntanglha mountain range (go pronounce that one).

Would definitely want to go and see this one by myself...

well, the card arrived in an envelope with a number of others, so no stamps for it.

wishing you all a great lovely and not-so-hot weekend.

Shanghai, China

Well, next we move to another train :)

CN-140324

the back of the card says: From Nov. 22nd to 28th, Shanghai International Originality Industrial Week attracted 150,000 visitors. Luwan, the main venue of this meeting, was where creative people fully demonstrate their ideas. The creative products from all over the world gathered here in the "Originality Avenue" - Yandang Road, to bring new lifestyle concepts to city residents.

So I guess this train is a product of creativity too.

the stamp on the right is from a set of 4 issued in 2004 representing Folktales, where this stamp represents Liu Yi delivering a letter. The other stamp is from a set of 4 ceramics' stamps issued in 1999.

Mount Tai, China

A lovely surprise Dani sent me from China!

Such a fantastic view, with so much blue!! Perfect for the blue lovers like me!
The name of the card is "The Winter Charm of Azure Cloud Temple". Situated on the Mount Tai, near its top, is a grand building complex, a special combination of metal components, wood, and bricks and stone structures. It is the most influential, its influence extending over more than half of China. During the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), Azure Cloud Temple received several hundred thousand worshippers annually. From the Taishan Temple to the Azure Clouds Temple there are numerous stone tablets and inscriptions and ancient buildings on the way.

I love the name...azure clouds...and feels like you have the whole world at your hands here :)

the stamp is from a set of 2 definitives issued in 2004.

Jiu Zhai Gully, China

A beautiful postcard I got from my friend Dani.....

....and this post is dedicated to her as well, in order to wish her a safe trip to China and lots of luck and happy moments in the following 300 and something days. Ahhh China....such a vast place...worth to be seen....hopefully one day...if we get the chance to visit Dani :)
The card shows the Nuorilang waterfall. It is a marvellous scene in Jiu Zhai Gully, about 100 metres in width, the widest waterfall in China.
Few months ago at one of the cultural events here, I watched this documentary film, called "The last train home", which had won among else, the Best Documentary Feature at 2009 IDFA. While the majority of the people I was with were bored, I was fascinated with the movie...first of all it featured travels by train which lasted several days...and not one of those comfy ones. Second, it brought into perspective some fascinating views in China, presented their culture, their people and their struggle to make ends meet...a really sad and touching movie, which brings you the reality of THIS China and it makes you both angry and full of admiration

Here is the trailer, for whomever might be interested....personally, I highly recommend it




Have a safe trip Dani...you will be missed....and keep in touch! <3

Qingdao, China

A very cool card from China.

My first received signs' card is here...and so far my favourite so far....
This one here is extra cool as well, and comes from Qingdao, the city which during the 29th Olympic games was the host to the Olympic Sailing competitions. The signs posts on the card point to all the directions in the world where the sister cities of Qingdao are located, specifying their geographic positions and distances from Qingdao.
Anyone wanna take a guess which of these sister cities is highest on my list? Its not that hard...you should know by now :)

three nice Chinese stamps where the first one dates back from 1992, issued in a set of two, representing the year of the monkey....hey thats me thats me!!! I wonder if the sender really knew this or this was by a lucky chance.
The second stamp is from 2004, from a set of 4, under the subject of New year Taohuawu, while the last stamp is from 1998 from a sheet of 8, representing fish
Im extremely thankful to the Chinese for printing the years on the stamps in a language I can understand

The Red Palace of the Potala, Tibet

The last card for today is my first one depicting something from Tibet, and being fascinated with the place and all those books I had read related to it, I really really treasure this card....plus it IS indeed a very nice one.

It shows the Red Palace of the Potala (there is a White Palace as well).
The Potala palace is considered to be the greatest monumental structure in Tibet. It was the main residing place of Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama had to flee to Dharamsala,India after an unsuccessful uprising in the year 1959. Now the Potala Palace has attained the title of a famous tourist attraction and also has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.The Potala Palace is so huge that the entire palace can be divided into various parts, about which we have collected the information and have compiled them on this site.
As for the Red Palace, it is completely devoted to the religious study and Buddhist prayers. This part of the Potala Palace contains a complete layout of halls, chapels, libraries, galleries and winding passages. The Great West Hall is the name given to the central hall of the Red Palace. It consists of four great chapels that have been attributed to honor the glory and power of the fifth Dalai Lama. The north side of this hall in the Potala Palace consists of the holiest shrine of Potala. This side of the Potala palace has been given the name of The Saint's Chapel. Another part of the Red Palace called the north Chapel has a crowned Sakymuni Buddha on the left and the fifth Dalai Lama on the right seated on a fabulous gold throne. The South chapel of the Red Palace in the Potala Palace focuses on Padmasambhava, the eighth Indian magician and his wife. The East Chapel in the Red Palace consists of the five golden stupas. The central stupa contains the mummified body of the fifth Dalai Lama.

Definitely something more than worth seeing one day.

the stamp on the right comes from a set of six (3x2) miniature landscapes, while the other one was issued the following year, 1997, and comes from an amazing miniature sheet of 8 stamps, called The World Postal Congress.

thats all for today.

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....

Terracotta Warriors, China

For quite some time ive been wanting to have a card with the Terracotta Warriors and there it is!!! I simply love this card and think that this site is just more than amazing!!

The terracotta figures (warriors and horses) of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, which date back from the 210 BC,  were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near the mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor.
The terracotta figures vary in height (183–195 cm)  according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include strong warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

The four pits associated with the dig are about 1.5 km east of the burial ground and are about 7 meters deep. The outside walls of the tomb complex are as if placed there to protect the tomb from the east, where all the conquered states lay. They are solidly built with rammed earth walls and ground layers as hard as concrete. Pit one, (represented on the card) is 230 meters long, and contains the main army, estimated at 8,000 figures. It  has 11 corridors, most of which are over 3 meters wide, and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of noblemen and would have resembled palace hallways. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil making them, when built, about 2 to 3 meters higher than ground level.

this site is also a new UNESCO whs in my collection!

 

and here come 4 lovely stamps on the card! these represent the whole set of 4 stamps from the Zhuxian Woodprint New Year Picture series.
the first one is called "Gate Guardian General Standing with Cane". the second one bears the title " Give Her Son a Lecture". the third stamp is called " Come Back With Fruitful Result" while the 4th and last one is titled "Chivalrous Women"....cool!

Beijing, China

And another official card for today...a really great card as well...

CN-85533

Comes from Beijing, and it shows the Palace Museum. It was established on October 10, 1925, and is China's largest museum. It is also known as the 'Purple' Forbidden City in Chinese, or the Forbidden City as it is commonly known in English. It covers 720,000 square meters and was the imperial palace for a succession of twenty-four emperors and their dynasties during the Ming and Qing periods of Chinese history. The museum is also China's largest and most complete architectural grouping of ancient halls. Construction was begun in 1420, the eighteenth year of Yongle, so that the site hasexisted for the past 580 years.
More than 70 halls of various sizes, containing more than 9,000 rooms, comprise the Forbidden City. These halls are aligned along a north-south axis, and extend out on either side in an east-west symmetry. The central axis not only passes through the Purple Forbidden City, but extends south to Yongding Gate and north to the Bell and Drum Towers, for a length of some eight kilometers. This passage through the entire city of Beijing symbolizes the centrality of the imperial power: the imperial seat is at the very center of this line. The architectural design lines up the buildings in neat array and with imposing scale. In a concentrated form, this assemblage expresses China's artistic traditions in the setting of China's unique architectural style.

well, that also makes it a UNESCO whs as well...

As for the stamp...well no stamp...just a red machined print...and i thought this didnt happen in China :)
Well it IS a pity, since China has such great and various stamps....

Shanghai, China

Well, after a dreadful Sunday, having to spend it in bed mostly, i think im finally getting back on track a bit....except that i just feel really weak, and tired....i hope ill manage to make this update...

CN-64769

Here is a really nice official Chinese card, called the Morning Melody of Shanghai. It says that The morning  of the developing Shanghai, whose melody is a variation overflowing with vigour and magnificence, has been the most passional overture of the urban symphony.

Here are some more vivid descriptions regarding the Shanghai melodies....its longish, but i really think its worth the read...and see Shanghai in some different aspect...

- Underground and stage
Every morning in the subway station, the train roaring in and speeding away in the rush hours; the train doors open slowly with sharp sound of the brake, throng in the train rush out, while the crowd on the platform try their best to get in. The horn in the station constantly broadcasting: “crowded, passengers who can not get on, please wait for the next one." But the doors of the crowded train still cannot be closed. The steward on the platform is yelling “get in, get in” at the same time try his best to help the passenger get into the carriage, then the door gradually close with tootle sound of the train.  The crowded subway carriage shows the fast rhythm of Shanghai in another aspect; get into the crowded carriage, moving forward with the roaring train, this is one portraiture for the development of Shanghainese. Many people can not give up the crowded and busy carriage, the sound people crushing into the train from the platforms becomes an usual sound to many people.

- The Bell in Old Drong
Old drong is one characteristic of Shanghai, where some aged men live; the ringing from the old drong has been a warning from the residents committee to remind people close their doors, windows and gas for decades. This sound makes people feel warm, full of local distinctive cultural characteristic

- The Sound of Heaven
When taking a walk in the Shanghai street, shopping with such beautiful music, seems that it is in one fantastic city, when the tension in your body gets released, and you enjoy the fun of walking in the streets in Shanghai.

- The Sound of History in the city
Occasionally we can hear some old Shanghai songs in the streets, whose music sounds warm and familiar. This sound is unique Shanghai’s characteristic from which more people know Shanghai. You can hear the history of Shanghai from the sound, some of which is worth preserving and valuable.

Regarding the stamps...wow, i never thought it would be this difficult to actually find info about the Chinese stamps. I really should have taken that Chinese course at University....at least i would have had some basic knowledge and could have identified whats written on the stamps...like this, the job is much harder to do.
The stamp on the left is from a set of two, issued in 2007, called, the Special Stamp for New Year....so i guess it says "Happy New Year" on it, or i might be just rambling...i dont know.
The other stamp was issued in 1997 and belongs to a set of 6, called Maiji Grottoes. The one here in particular represents the Xieshi Bodhisattva.

Gaotian, China

If things go as i was told they will, then soon i might be burried in piles of work...and i actually want that to happen, since i need money...a lot! I know I always complain when i have to work 24/7, but no work, means no money and no money means no to many things...so hopefully, that work will come...what i wanted to say is that if that happens, i wont be able to actually make many updates (as if until now i had been the most regular updater) so i just want to use my time before that and compensate somehow...and not leave cards piling and piling and piling...if i exclude all my older cards, from before the postcrossing era, right now so many cards on stand-by that i would need to make an update every single day (with 3 or 4 cards per day) for the next two whole months, in order to exhaust that whole collection....if we assume that i wont receive any cards in those two months....which, is not gonna happen, coz im not gonna allow it...i mean...two months with no cards...who are you kidding?? So i guess ill just slowly update here, with cards making bigger and bigger piles, and with people wondering, why am i not posting a card they had sent me...well, its not coz i dont like your card...thats not a reason at all...you just know that my whole updating concept is complicated....but i dont wanna change it...you know why? coz it will feel as if i had failed to go all the way on something i had said i would do...as breaking a rule just coz i didnt have enough patience...its like when you go on a diet, and at the third glimpse of the chocolate, you eat it whole and then you feel guilty and something feels wrong inside...well, resisting a chocolate isnt always easy, so at least i dont want to be character-less here...so i hope you understand..and in case you see your card in two years time, its not coz i didnt like it, ok?

ok, i think i talked too much...so i will spare you from more talks :)
Ill show you a video instead, which is somewhat related to the card itself...so instead of my rants, enjoy the beautiful scenery and the nice relaxing music :)

Jade Maiden Peak, China

This is an official card from China...beautiful one!

CN-49425

the Wuyi Mountain area is often called the "number one scenic wonder in Southeast China." An ancient legend says that in prehistoric period, there was an eight hundred-year-old man named Peng Zu who came to live in Chong'an, where the people suffered because of serious flooding. Peng Zu had two sons, Wu and Yi, who offered to dredge the waterways and finally conquered the floods. To commemorate the Peng brothers, the mountain was named Wuyi Mountain, and a palace was built in their memory.
Jade maiden Peak (Yun\feng), which is a scenic attraction of Wuyi Mountain. With its smooth rock cliffs and luxuriant vegetation, it looks like a slender maiden. There is a beautiful story connected with the Jade Maiden Peak. It is said that the Jade Maiden in Heaven admired the beauty of Earth and decided to live on Wuyi Mountain. Her love, the Great King, also came down and joined her there. But their whereabouts were found out and reported to the Jade Emperor by the Iron Slab Demon, who was then ordered to spy on them. The Jade Maiden and the Great King loved each other so much that they decided never to return to Heaven. With his magic powers, the Iron Slab Demon turned them into stone mountains. The demon himself also became a mountain because of his evil doings.

the card has a self-printed matching stamp! so neat!