Temple of Confucius

Postcard ID: CN-1612410
Country: China

The Temple and Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion are three important sites in Confucianism. They are located in Qufu, Shandong Province. Together with the Summer Palace in Beijing and the Mountain Resort of Chengde, the Temple of Confucius in Qufu is one of the three largest ancient architectural complexes in China. East of the Temple of Confucius, is the Kong Family Mansion. Kong is the family surname of Confucius and his descendants.

Confucianism has had the most enduring and profound effect over Chinese culture. As time went on, Confucius became respected as a sage, and the temples to Confucius were built as a landmark for all of China. Among them, the Temple in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, is the most famous and the largest.

Included in UNESCO world heritage list.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

Postcard ID: US-3127222
Country: USA

Yeah, it's my first UNESCO site postcards from USA! I so like beautiful nature and already in love with this park :)

And thanks for the nice story, Alison! ;)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. It is the most visited national park in the United States. On its route from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail also passes through the center of the park. The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940. It encompasses 522,419 acres (816.28 sq mi; 2,114.15 km2), making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States. The main park entrances are located along U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) at the towns of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina. It was the first national park whose land and other costs were paid for in part with federal funds; previous parks were funded wholly with state money or private funds.

Also this postcard has amazing nature stamp:

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Postcard ID: MX-20516
Country: Mexico

Here is a wonderful postcard from Mexico. I saw this pyramids on the pictures still in my school years and it's one from my dream to see them with my own eyes. Actually, I love Mexico! :)

Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Terminal Classic. The archaeological site is located in the municipality of Tinum, in the Mexican state of Yucatán.

The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc and Chenes styles of the Northern Maya lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion.

Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature. The city may have had the most diverse population in the Maya world, a factor that could have contributed to the variety of architectural styles at the site.

The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. The land under the monuments had been privately owned until 29 March 2010, when it was purchased by the state of Yucatán.

Here is an amazing Mexican stamp:

Bulguksa Temple, South Korea

Postcard ID: RU-1748293
Country: Russia

Here is one more perfect building to my collection and one more point to visit :)

Bulguksa is located on the slopes of mount Toham (Jinheon-dong, Gyeongju city, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea). It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and encompasses seven National treasures of South Korea, including Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo (Blue Cloud Bridge), and two gilt-bronze statues of Buddha. The temple is classified as Historic and Scenic Site No. 1 by the South Korean government. In 1995, Bulguksa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Seokguram Grotto, which lies four kilometers to the east.

The temple is considered as a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom. It is currently the head temple of the 11th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

Among the earliest woodblock prints in world, a version of the Dharani sutra dated between 704 and 751 was found there in 1966. Its Buddhist text was printed on a 8 cm × 630 cm (3.1 in × 248.0 in) mulberry paper scroll.

Here are the stamps from the card:

View of the administrative building (Palaty) and the Cathedrals of the Assumption and St. Demetrius, Vladimir, Russia

Postcard ID: RU-2803102
Country: Russia

This September I received really cool card. Do you 2 (!!) churches on the card? Yes, 2 great churches on the one card. Great :)

Vladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, 200 kilometers (120 mi) to the east of Moscow

Modern Vladimir is a part of the Golden Ring of the ancient Russian cities and a popular tourist destination. Its three chief monuments, White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List, are the following:

• The magnificent five-domed Assumption Cathedral was designed as a sepulcher of grand princes and dedicated to the holy icon Theotokos of Vladimir, which had been brought to the city by Andrew the Pious. The cathedral was constructed in 1158–1160, expanded in 1185–1189, and painted by the great Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chyorny in 1408. In 1810, a lofty bell-tower was added in Neoclassical style.

• The warrior-like cathedral of St. Demetrius was built in 1194–1197 as a private chapel of Vsevolod the Big Nest in the courtyard of his palace and was consecrated to his holy patron, St. Demetrius. For all its formal unity, the cathedral represents an international project of Russian and Byzantine masters, Friedrich Barbarossa's masons, and carvers sent by Queen Tamar of Georgia.

Struve Park, Latvia

Postcard ID: LV-157571
Country: Latvia

Here is a beautiful summer green card. I like to walk in parks like this one.

Called the Crown Garden during the first independence, Struve park was a popular recreation and entertainment location with wealthier residents. The park has become famous with its station of the geodetic ark measured by the professor of Tartu University, astronomer and geodesist Wilhelm von Struve. The Struve Geodetic Arc is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Here is a stamp:

Brno, Czech Republic

Postcard ID: CZ-490263
Country: Czech Republic

I was only once in Czech Republic, but would like to visit it again. I think that I should also visit Brno. It seems, that this city can show me many interesting things :)

Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic by population and area, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative center of the South Moravian Region in which it forms a separate district (Brno-City District).

Brno Exhibition Centre ranks among the largest exhibition centres in Europe (23rd in the world). The complex opened in 1928 and established the tradition of large exhibitions and trade fairs held in Brno. Brno hosts motorbike and other races on the Masaryk Circuit, a tradition established in 1930 in which the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious races. Another cultural tradition is an international fireworks competition, Ignis Brunensis, that usually attracts tens of thousands of daily visitors.

The most visited sights of the city include the Špilberk castle and fortress and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Petrov hill, two medieval buildings that dominate the cityscape and are often depicted as its traditional symbols. The other large preserved castle near the city is Veveří Castle by the Brno Dam Lake. This castle is the site of a number of legends, as are many other places in Brno. Another architectural monument of Brno is the functionalist Villa Tugendhat which has been included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. One of the natural sights nearby is the Moravian Karst.

In conclusion, would like to show a stamp:

Baikal, Russia

Postcard ID: RU-2810574
Country: Russia

Here is amazing Baikal Lake. I really like Russian or Belarusian landscapes and believe that we have really beautiful nature. On the left site we see a pole with ribbons. it's a place of strengths, ribbons are to make spirits kinder.

Lake Baikal is a rift lake in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between the Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast.

Lake Baikal is the freshwater lake with greatest volume in the world, containing roughly 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water, and at 1,642 m (5,387 ft), the deepest. It is also among the clearest of all lakes, and thought to be the world's oldest lake at 25 million years. It is the seventh-largest lake in the world by surface area.

Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two-thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. 

Lubecker Town Hall, Germany

Postcard ID: DE-3216062
Country: Germany

Here is an amazing Town Hall that is included in UNESCO World Heritage. When I see postcards like this one I want to visit this place immediately :)

Lübeck Town Hall is one of the most beautiful town halls in Germany. From 1230, three gabled houses were constructed on the marketplace and extended over the next few centuries to ultimately create the Hansesaal (Hanseatic Hall) for meetings and the Danzelhus (Dance Hall) for social meetings.
Its interior boasts a grand audience hall: the doors to this former courtroom have different heights. Acquitted defendants were allowed to leave the hall via the tall door, sentenced defendants had to remove their hats and leave via the low door.

View of Tallinn

Postcard ID: EE-158276
Country: Estonia

I've received some really nice views from Tallinn and this is one of them. I know that Tallinn is a beautiful city and we're planning to make a Baltic trip across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, maybe by sea :)

Tallinn (/ˈtɑːlɪn/ or /ˈtælɪn/,[3][4] Estonian pronunciation: [ˈtɑlʲˑinˑ]) is the capital and largest city of Estonia.

Tallinn occupies an area of 159.2 km2 and has a population of 431,184. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, 80 km south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is ranked as a global city and has been listed among the top 10 digital cities in the world. The city was a European Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku in Finland.

Here is an amazing sharped stamp with Estonian flag:

Cappadocia, Nevşehir, Turkey

Hurray! I received 2 amazing cards this week from Joao. This time postcards came to me from Turkey and they both are really wonderful!

Now I only dream to fly on a hot air balloon, but Joao and his wife already did it :) guys, you're cool!

Cappadocia, which was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 on natural and cultural criteria, is situated at a distance of 14 km from Nevsehir, and it covers a 40 square km area between the county seats of Avanos and Urgup.
Goreme National Park and Cappadocia is a unique design of nature with slopes full of fairy-chimneys, rich water resources at the base of the valley, abundant flora, and numerous rock cut, frescoed churches.

Cappadocia, which was sculpted out of the tuff of the Erclyes and Hasan Mountains through millions of years by sand and water erosion, became the seat of several civilisations, and a silent witness to the cultural history of Anatolia. Cappadocia also covers underground cities. These enchanting and only partially revealed subterranean cities of Cappadocia are believed to have deeper levels awaiting exploration.

It looks like really interesting place! ;)

Mountain Fuji, Japan

Postcard ID: JP-537638
Country: Japan

It's so wonderful, wonderful life postcard! Every time when I receive postcard from my favourits I feel so happy!

Yoriko wrote that this is the Green Tea plantation in front of Mt. Fiji. By the way, green tea is my favourite ;)

I agree with the sender that the combination of blue sky, Mt. Fiji with white snow and vivid green tea plantation is great view!

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.24 m. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is snow-capped several months a year, is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers. It is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku; it is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, a Historic Site, and was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22nd, 2013.

The mountain has been selected as a “cultural” rather than a “natural” heritage site. As per UNESCO, Mount Fuji has “inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries”. 

Look on all these stamps! And sticker :)

Centennial Hall

Postcard ID: PL-734605
Country: Poland

This card was sent to me by Patrycja from Poland. She strongly resommend me to visit this Centennial Hall in Wroclaw. She said that thisis a very modern museum about Hall's history and about of Polish modernism architecture (Hall is build in this style).

The Centennial Hall is a historic building in Wrocław, Poland. It was constructed according to the plans of architect Max Berg in 1911–1913, when the city was part of the German Empire.
The building and surroundings is frequently visited by tourists and the local populace. It lies close to other popular tourist attractions, such as the Wrocław Zoo, the Japanese Garden, and the Pergola with its Multimedia Fountain.
As an early landmark of reinforced concrete architecture, the building became one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments, as designated April 20, 2005, together with the Four Domes Pavilion, the Pergola, and the Iglica. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland. It was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.

Brazilian UNESCO sites

Postcard ID: BR-266247
Country: Brazil

This card show even 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Ouro Preto is a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains and designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its outstanding Baroque architecture.

Congonhas is a historical Brazilian city located in the state of Minas Gerais. It is situated 90 kilometres south from Belo Horizonte, the capital of state of Minas Gerais.
The city is notable for its basilica - the Santuário do Bom Jesus do Matosinhos - and associated soapstone sculptures which were commissioned by Portuguese adventurer, Feliciano Mendes in the 18th century. It was created by Aleijadinho, one of the best artists in the baroque style in the world. The twelve sculptures of old testament prophets around the terrace are considered amongst his finest work.
In 1985 UNESCO granted the Sanctuary the title of a World Heritage Site.

Diamantina is a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais.
Arraial do Tijuco (as Diamantina was first called) was built during the colonial era in the early 18th century. As its name suggests, Diamantina was a center of diamond mining in the 18th and 19th centuries. A well-preserved example of Brazilian Baroque architecture, Diamantina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Look at this nice stamp:

Ganyang Gully of Baoxing County at the foot of the Jiajin Mountain in autumn

Postcard ID: CN-1039526
Country: China

Here is a colourful postcard with beautiful landscape. Awesome!

Baoxing County is the place where Frenchman A. David found the giant panda. Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, home to more than 30% of the world's pandas which are classed as highly endangered, covers 924,500 ha with seven nature reserves and nine scenic parks in the Qionglai and Jiajin Mountains. The sanctuaries constitute the largest remaining contiguous habitat of the giant panda, a relict from the paleo-tropic forests of the Tertiary Era. It is also the species' most important site for captive breeding. The sanctuaries are home to other globally endangered animals such as the red panda, the snow leopard and clouded leopard. They are among the botanically richest sites of any region in the world outside the tropical rainforests, with between 5,000 and 6,000 species of flora in over 1,000 genera.

A stamp from China:

Coimbra University

This interesting and beautiful card is sent to me by my friend Joao. Hey, friend, you send me more Portuguese cards than I receive via official postcrossing site, huh :)

The University of Coimbra is a Portuguese public university in Coimbra, Portugal. Established in 1290, it is one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world, the oldest university of Portugal, and one of its largest higher education and research institutions. It is organized into eight different faculties according to a wide range of fields, granting academic bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in arts, engineerings, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, sports and technologies. It is a founding member of the Coimbra Group, a group of leading European research universities, whose inaugural meeting it hosted. The University of Coimbra has approximately 20,000 students, and hosts one of the largest communities of international students in Portugal, being the most cosmopolitan Portuguese university.

On June 22, 2013, UNESCO added the university to its World Heritage List

As usual Joao sticked nice stamps for me. Thanks again! I really appreciated all your efforts!

Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina

Postcard ID: AR-17917
Country: Argentina

Today I would like to write about one from the most interesting envelopes I ever received. This is my first card from Argentina. So it's 48th country in my statistics list.

I love cactuses and have some in my room. Selvina sent me whole Valley of cactuses! I really appreciate it :)

The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, 1,649 km north of Buenos Aires. It is about 155 km long, oriented north-south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys (Valles Templados) in the south.

The name quebrada (literally "broken") translates as a deep valley or ravine. It receives its name from Humahuaca, a small city of 11,000 inhabitants. The Grande River (Río Grande), which is dry in winter, flows copiously through the Quebrada in the summer.

The region has always been a crossroads for economic, social and cultural communication. It has been populated for 10,000 years, since the settlement of the first hunter-gatherers, which is evidenced by substantial prehistoric remains. It was a caravan road for the Inca Empire in the 15th century, then an important link between the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and the Viceroyalty of Peru, as well as a stage for many battles of the Spanish War of Independence.

The Quebrada de Humahuaca was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2 July, 2003. 

However the most happiness I received from the additional envelope. This small envelope contained Argentinian Pesos! As I collect banknotes of different countries it was absolutely amazing surprise for me :)

Also now I have Argentinian stamps :)

Prague, Czech Republic

Postcard ID: CZ-396556
Country: Czech Republic

This card is named on the backside like Prague. The Vltava river. Charles Bridge. The Prague castle.

However for me this is one from the most beautiful city in the world. I love this place with all my heart and to be honest, I'd like to live there.

When I see on this card I remember October 2010 when i visited Czech Republic. I was walking along this bridge, floating on a boat on the Vltava river and admired this castle. I can talk about Czech Republic and Prague endlessly, however I strongly recommend just visit this place to understand that there are no words to describe beauty of Prague :)

And look on these stamps! My thanks to Hana for this great emotions which your card gave to me :)

The Imperial Palace

Postcard ID: CN-1126996
Country: China

From the back side of the card:

This is a view of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was the Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage site in 1987 and it is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world!

I really like this card as it;s beautiful, with really interesting history and has great decor:

Also there are nice stamps on the card and on envelope:

Sunrise at Penang

Postcard ID: MY-162819

Country: Malaysia

Description from the back side of the card:

The morning sun has just risen around the Komtar area in George Town, Penang. The 65-storey (232 m) Komtar Tower is a multipurpose complex where many retail outlets, a bus transportation hub and administrative offices for the Penang State Government are located

Here is the first Malaysia stamp in this blog: