Taiwan

One more card for today... this time a very cool official card from Taiwan.

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A very interesting way of portraying some of the most famous places and things / foods in Taiwan. How many can you actually recognize?

a stamp from a set of 4 Minerals' stamps issued in 1997. This one shows an enargite.

So folks, that would be all for today! Have a nice weekend ahead and if you had read the sticky post and you are still around, well thank you too :)

Tam-shui River, Taiwan

Another river for today, this one running through Taipei, Taiwan's capital.

It is one of the few rivers in the island that flows along a north-south direction, with a total length of 159 km.
Unfortunately, it is heavily polluted by both raw sewage and industrial pollution from illegal industry. Clean up and natural river restoration is on the agenda of the Taipei City Government, Taiwan Central Government and several citizen organizations.

I guess a river couldn't really be proud of itself when among the scarce information you find about it, one refers to its pollution.
However, the view at dusk is really nice.

a lovely cat stamp from a set of four stamps issued in 2005 featuring cats and dogs.

Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan

Two cards from Taiwan, which, if I figured out correctly, show the same lighthouse...I'm saying this, cos the second card doesn't bear a name of the lighthouse, but according to the structure and layout and all, it must be the same one :)

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The first one arrived as an official and is really cool cos that small square in the right up corner is actually a small window, which turned out to be showing the image perfectly when scanned! 

The Cape Eluanbi lies at the it is the southernmost point of mainland Taiwan and nowadays it is called "The Light of East Asia", because its intensity is the most powerful among Taiwan lighthouses.

Btw, I realized that this is some kind of series of Taiwanese postcards called "Love Taiwan" and that Glenn has received a fantastic one representing the Alishan Railway! 

the stamp on this one is from a set of four stamps showing lakes, issued in 2014.



The other lighthouse card arrived for the FB surprise group from Elva. Btw, I was somewhat convinced I had another card showing this lighthouse...but then again it might be I've seen it too frequently on postcrossing...but frankly, I really have NO idea and I feel like my mind is playing tricks on me =/

The lighthouse was built during the Qing Dynasty in 1888 and according to Wikipedia, is the only armed lighthouse in the world, with a trench surrounding it and many gun holes on the wall. The extra fortifications were required at the time it was built because of frequent raids by local aboriginal tribes

the stamps are definitives issued in 2013, representing different kind of berries - the one on the left (in two copies), shows us a Ribes formosanum, while the other one shows a Hylocereus undatus (or White-fleshed Pitahaya)

Taipei, Taiwan

the next card comes from Taiwan, and it shows the largest bookstore in the country, located in Taipei.

the bookstore has six stories above ground and two basement floors, with over 300,000 titles and more than a million books, covering publications in Mandarin, simplified Chinese, English, Japanese and European languages. And the best part of it all is that it is open 24/7...so you can drop by and read a book whenever you feel like it...esp on a rainy day as I presume it is when this picture was taken...at least that's the impression I get thru that window in the back :)

The other day I finished A Heart so White. Hmm, well, it is a good book...and I did find myself wanting see what's going to happen on the next page and how it is going to end and all...it ended a bit, well, I dont know, all of a sudden...you have odd events happening and things culminating until like the last 10 pages of the book, and then all of a sudden everything calms down and ends...on top of that, the book had not seen a proof-reader...or had seen a very careless one, coz all I kept doing was catching spelling and orthography mistakes...and as I was getting ahead with the book, the percentage of mistakes per page was increasing...and last, but not least, the syntax and construction of the sentences was sometimes confusing and made it difficult to figure it out what is he trying to say actually.
Still, it is not a bad book...you just need to find the right copy to read it...probably in Spanish would be the best if you are able to :)
So now, finally I can get down to Kafka on the Shore by Murakami

there are two really nice stamps on the card! First one belongs to a set of 20 stamps under the theme 'Wishes, Tourism, and Traffic'. It was issued in 2011. The other one is from a set of 5 deep-sea creatures' stamps, issued in 2012 and this one here shows is the Regalecus glesne...or in a more understandable language, the giant oarfish.

Paiwan tribe, Taiwan

as for my last card today, I chose another fantastic official i received just recently, showing a woman from the Paiwan Tribe, which are an aboriginal tribe of Taiwan, and are considered to be the third largest tribal-group.

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Im not sure when exactly I fell for cards like this, but it must have been something with the indigenous people in Asia which got me so interested in cards like this.

Unlike other tribes in Taiwan, Paiwan society is divided into classes with a hereditary aristocracy. The Paiwan are not allowed to marry outside their tribe. On the day of their "five-yearly rite," "all marriage-seeking Paiwan men try to cut down as many trees as possible and offer the firewood thus procured to the family of the girl they want to woo.

ha ha, charming indeed :)

the stamp is from a set of four flowers' stamps issued in 2009.

till next time... :)

CK 101, Taiwan

And ill close this post today with another train card, which I received back in 2009 for the Slavic RR.

I cant really tell you much about this train coz the text on the back is all in Chinese...except that this train had been made by the Japanese, who called it C44 and later, after WWII it became CK101 . At least thats what the sender has written, so dont shoot the messenger :) It is simply a great card to have!

the stamp is from a set of 4 Orchids' stamps issued in 2006.

have a great week ahead everyone...and see you soon :)

Taiwan

Well, another flag card for today, coming from Taiwan this time.

I know I am taking the risk of UNINTENTIONALLY saying something inappropriate regarding the Taiwan vs China issues, and I apologize in advance for that, but what I say is based on articles I come across and does not reflect my personal opinions and beliefs.

The red in the flag represents the land of China itself, with reference to the Han race which is the dominant race among the many races of China. The white sun symbolizes the spirit of progress as the twelve points represent the twelve hours of the day (a traditional Chinese hour = two conventional hours), and the sun on a blue field is the party flag of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) which ruled Taiwan until 2000. This flag was first used in 1928.

Mr. Hou-tung Lu designed the basics of the national flag of Taiwan (the blue sky, white sun). Later the red field was added by Dr. Sun Yat-sen to become the national flag.

The symbolism of the flag is cited as follows: The "three principles of the people" represented by the white-twelve-pointed star -Equality, brightness and Min Sheng (People's Livelihood), the blue canton - Liberty, justice and Min Chuan (Democracy) and red field - Fraternity, sacrifice and Min Tsu (Nationalism).

so here you have one Year of the Rabbit stamp, issued this year of course, coming from a set of two stamps. The bird stamp is from a set of 10 stamps issued in 1991 while the third one is from a set of four flower stamps issued in 1995.

Taiwan

I received a number of Taiwanese train cards lately...Taiwain is surprising me with its published train cards on the overall.

This card here shows the Memorial CK124 Locomotive of Taiwan Railway Co.

To attract tourists, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) spent nearly US$6.16 million to restore the tracks and facilities along the line, which passes many historic sites, including the Broken Longteng Bridge and the nearby Shengsing station built during the Japanese colonial era.

The project has managed to restore service on 13.6 kilometers of the line thus far, from Sanyi to Taian Station in Taichung County, according to the TRA.



dont you just love that horn sound of the old steam locomotives?! :))

Taipei, Taiwan

Well, since we already mentioned Taiwan above, lets give him a whole post indeed...

The card shows the Jong-Shan Building in Taipei....and unfortunately thats the only info I could give you about it...when I search for it, google keeps asking me, 'but did you actually mean something else'....so I gave up :)
Still, the building is really nice, and I really love the style of the Asian ones.

Thats all for today....I had another card in mind, but I figured it out I had made some mix up with the countries, so I left it for another time.

Alisha Mountain, Taiwan

At first, due to the lack of updates lately, i wanted to post like 4 or 5 cards today, but unfortunately, it is still something i cant afford time-wise...so i better stick to 3...something is better than nothing :)

Time ago I made a post about the Alishan Mountains, and now here they are again...but instead of a view on the mountains, there is this Alishan Mountain Railway, with the steam engine number 31.
I bet it is awesome to go on a train ride in the Alishan Mountains...with the beautiful sceneries around you...
who knows...maybe...one day....i better get to Norway first :)))

and thanks for still reading...cant make any promises about our next blog-date....but i hope it will be soon :)

Taiwan

A very interesting card I got from Andrea for the Winner Of The Month contest

The card is called "Dancing with the Gods"...it has no further information, and  I couldnt really find any on the internet regarding this particular card, but i guess is that its one of those common rituals that exist in many religions, dedicated to the Gods. Calling them, bringing them sacrifices etc.

I like how this person is dressed and the make up as well..actually, at first I thought it was a woman...then I got a closer look and saw its a man....

                                                 

and two beautiful stamps. the one on the right is a part from an Ancient Chinese Painting "A Hundred Deer" by Ignace Sichelbart. There is a total of 8 stamps in this issue.

The other one is from a set of 4 stamps from 2008, called "Regional Opera Series-Taiwanese Puppet Postage Stamps" (The Scholar Knight of Yunjhou)

Taiwan

My last card for today is another official one, coming from Taiwan, but my decision to show it was because it actually shows a train and i just wanted to ramble in a few words about my last train ride...

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Some of you may know that the weekend that just passed but the one before that, i was on a one day trip to Belgrade (as all my Belgrade trips end up to be), and as usual, i took the train to go back home. I think that if i had to spend all my nights sleeping on a train (in the bed wagoon of course)  I wouldnt mind one thing. I just love the solitude of the cabin, and then just hearing and feeling the sound of the train wheels...its nice to be sleeping while you are actually moving like that...feels like someone is singing you a lullaby :P

But really...its some specific, one of a kind feeling...esp coz outside it was extremely cold and on the inside it was nice and warm...and then you wake up, and open your eyes around dawn and you see mountains and trees moving in front of you...the only thing i dont like are the moments when borders approach...and when going from Belgrade to Skopje the border time is around 6am...so not the most convenient one, but i think i can neglect that fact and enjoy all the rest.

And if you are asking me about the train on the card...I honestly have NO idea where in Taiwan is this, its not even stated on the card...so its just some train...out there...in Taiwan

 

need to find some adequate Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese etc stamp sites written in English...otherwise i feel really ignorant...wanna guess why?

Taiwan

And another map card for today, coming from Taiwan.

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The thing about this card is that i have two of them, and both of them arrived in like one week time...one came as an official and the other one as a surprise.
Its awkward to receive doubles, and i cant blame people for that since often they cant know which cards i already have, esp. if i havent uploaded them here...its tricky to explain it...sometimes it may feel disappointing to receive a card you already have...but then on the other hand, its the thought that counts and the fact that someone has tried to choose something according to my wishlist, knowing its something im gonna like...and the words on the back also matter a lot too, right?
And here, well...its a lovely map card, so how can i not like it? and how can i not like the fact that someone who doesnt know me, chose this card for me and also someone else sent it to me as a total surprise...so double cards are a delicate issue to discuss anyway :)

well, since there were different stamps on both of the cards, i decided to show both of them...
The flower stamp is from a 2007 issue  Orchids of Taiwan Postage stamps coming in a set of 4 but for the other, i didnt have much luck to gather some information....my guess is that it represents some sort of a festival or tradition but i cant give any accurate information unfortunately...so if anyone can help, feel free to do so.

thanks for reading and for stopping by...i missed this place....

Taipei, Taiwan (03)

This card seems more as if painted than as if photographed due to the colours

It shows a night view of  the Dajhih Bridge in Taipei, Taiwan...

The Dajhih Bridge is one of Taipei city’s new landmarks. It is the first cable-stayed bridge with a single pylon in the shape of a fishing rod in the city. It was partially opened to traffic in June 2002. In January 2003, the main span was opened to traffic. The bridge has a total length of 820 meters and eight-lanes, with two-way traffic. It is an important bridge connecting the Dajhih district to other parts of Taipei. At night, when its red cables and pylon are illuminated, it resembles a dazzling work of large outdoor art that sets off the beautiful scenery of neighboring Keelung River Park.

Danshuei, Taiwan

My last card for today comes from Andrea in Taiwan, who saw this one in my wish list and wanted to surprise me, and send it to me....and I was more than pleasantly surprised indeed...esp. since I really really love this card! Thank you Andrea, a lot lot lot lot lot!!! :)

The card shows Danshuei, which is a city along the Danshuei River and a popular place to go to at the weekends, to eat, shop and enjoy the scenery.
Well, if the scenery is INDEED as the one on the card, then there is no doubt its enjoyable...ive found some other pictures of Danshuei river and they all actually have this tone of mixed blue and purple...probably thats why i loved this card in the first place...coz of the tones of the colours....they are just sooo sooo beautiful.

Well, i tried to provide this post with some more info on Danshuei, but im either too lazy too google more, or i just really cant come up with some more info...well, at least, enjoy the scenery!

Ill see you tomorrow...thats for sure :))
Wanna know why? You'll have to drop by :)))))   (that rhyme was totally spontaneous :))

Taipei, Taiwan

I abso- abso- absolutely love this card! The colours are just soooooooo perfect!!! The view is just lovely!! Its a card ticked off my wishlist thanks to Shu-i!


It shows the Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, which has just changed its name from C.K.S Memorial Hall not so long ago.
You can also see two pretty Chinese style buildings. The left one is the national theatre, and the right one is the national concert hall.
All 3 buildings on the card just make it sooo great for me!

Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei city in Taiwan

And on the card you see Taipei 101 which is the tallest (completed) skyscraper in the world with 508m. .
This skyscraper has also been hailed as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, and Seven Wonders of Engineering.
The building stands as an icon of Taipei and Taiwan as a whole. The building contains 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground.
The '101' has several references: the 101 floors, then, 101 is the postal code of Taipei's international business district, and the number also evokes the binary numeral system used in digital technology.
Hmmm, quite interesting relations to 101 (there are some more though).
I think Taiwan should be proud with this...I dont doubt that the view from the top is amazing...and breathtaking....would love to stand on it someday...I just hope there wont be an earthquake for the time being :))

Taiwan

Ok, ive been having quite some trouble with this one.....i pardon for my ignorance, but i still cant figure out what this card EXACTLY represents....hence I labeled it with Taiwan only

Lets see....it somewhat reminds me of those underground railway maps, by its concept.
Now, on the front, the card says Kaohsiung, Taiwan...below it says "Chi Chin Working" ?!!!
The sender of the card says she couldnt have big size postcard of Kaohsiung city, so she sends the Chi Ching bigger postcard...that Chi Chin is near Kaohsiung, and if she wants to go to Chi Chin she must pass some tunnel or ferry boat...she mentions some sea food and sea activity....
Frankly, im lost....
The card shows some pictures named as eg. Tienhou Temple, Seafood street, Harbor Ship....Three-wheel (?), Chihou Lighthouse, Beach Resort, Roast Squid etc....now, from what I think, this might be like a map and the pictures show certain places of where they are located...but im not sure...and im still confused what "Chi Chin" is...and what that 'working' added means?....i came across something while googling which makes me think that Chi Chin might be some district in Kaohsiung, but then im confused coz the sender says she has to travel from Kaohsiung to Chi Chin, so it makes them two different places....uhhhhhhh, i need Taiwanese help here........sorry, but i really cant figure this out :((((

Alishan, Taiwan

A new country added to the list! Taiwan!!


Whats interesting is that I get a card from Taiwan showing snow, where Taiwan is a country where snow is really rare....so its nice to have this :)

The card here shows Alishan, one of the mountains in Taiwan.

Alishan is one of Taiwan's top tourist resorts and well worth a visit. The area is famous among residents and visitors as one of Taiwan's best places to watch the sunrise. The views are impressive in practically every direction. Craggy mountain peaks jut out of a sea of fluffy white clouds, which gradually turn a fiery mass of purples, reds, and oranges in a magnificent light show created by the first rays of dawn as the sun rises above the peaks.

The area was first discovered during the early years of the Japanese occupation (1895-1945) for its abundant cypress forests. There are five things at Alishan that the tourist cannot miss: the railway, the beautiful cypress forests, the "sea of clouds," the sunrise, and the sunset.

The forests of Alishan, with their magnificent old cedar trees and pines, present a sharp contrast to the tropical palms and banana plants of the plains around Chiayi. The area attracts large numbers of tourists, in particular Japanese visitors, during the spring, when the cherry trees are in bloom. During the afternoon, the forests take on an eerie beauty, when they become enveloped in fog. Probably the most famous tree in the Alishan Forest Recreation Area is the "sacred tree", which is said to be over 3,000 years old.

Alishan is known throughout Taiwan for its beautiful morning views of jagged peaks jutting out of a sea of fluffy clouds. At this time of day, it is easy to imagine what inspired traditional Chinese ink painters in their realistic portrayals of mountains shrouded in mists. The best time for seeing the clouds is probably autumn, when swathes of cloud wrap the mountain peaks. Visitors are advised that the best location to view Alishan's famous sea of clouds is Erwanping which is the train stop before Alishan. The clouds appear to move in huge billowing waves, which sometimes swallow the island-like mountain peaks. The views from Erwanping are magnificent.

While not as well known as Alishan's sunrise, sunset at this popular resort is also pretty amazing. The thin air at this elevation makes the sun's rays particularly strong. This means that as the sun sets the sky appears considerably more blue than normal. The best places for watching the sun set are the Alishan Guesthouse and Tsu-yun Temple.

As if you really needed all those details :)))