Sugatag - Romania

Also from Eastern Europe, there's another favorite card with the wood church in Sugatag, in the Maramures region, Romania.

The card was sent by Daniela.

"The church in Sat-Sugatag was built in oak in 1642, on the site of an earlier building. Surrounded by a charming, serene village, the compact church has an ornate gate, beautiful wooden cross graveyard, and spacious yard making it a special destination. It is rectangular in plan, with a protruding polygonal sanctuary apse, and is one of the most representative monuments of religious architecture in Maramures. The entrance at the west end is richly decorated with the twisted rope motif and geometrical elements. Only fragments of the wall paintings survive. A number of icons on glass and wood are preserved inside the church, including two, of very fine quality, painted in 1785 by Gheorghe Visovan." - in: http://motoromania.com/index_files/woodenchurches.htm

Putorana Plateau - Russia

Another Unesco site. This one is from Russia, Putorana Plateau, inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2010. The card was sent by "so_nata".

"This site coincides with the area of the Putoransky State Nature Reserve, and is located in the central part of the Putorana Plateau in northern Central Siberia. It is situated about 100 km north of the Arctic Circle. The part of the plateau inscribed on the World Heritage List harbours a complete set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as untouched cold-water lake and river systems. A major reindeer migration route crosses the property, which represents an exceptional, large-scale and increasingly rare natural phenomenon." in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1234

Chinese Unesco cards

5, five new unesco cards from China :D From up to bottom, Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom; Longmen Grottoes; Yungang Grottoes; Mt. Wuyi and Three Paralel Rivers. All the cards were sent by "orlando112o".

In 37 BC, Zhu Meng of Fuyu Tribe established Gaogouli (or Koguryo Kingdom in Heshenggu City (present day Huanren County, Liaoning Province). In 3 AD, King Liuli Mingwang, the second king of Gaogouli, moved the capital to Guonei City (present day Ji'an City, Jilin Province). During the more than 400 years when its capital existed in Huanren and Ji'an, Gaogouli created a splendid civilization, as demonstrated by the numerous historical sites preserved today.

The existing three cities, 20 imperial mausoleums and hundreds of tombs for nobles of Gaogouli are the representative reclics of the ancient kingdom.

This site is on the Unesco WHS list since 2004.

Located in the southern suburbs of Luoyang City, Henan Province, the Longmen Grottoes houses over 2100 Buddhist niches, more than 100.000 Buddha images, over 3600 inscribed steles and 40 Buddhist pagodas. They are scattered on the eastern and western cliffs on both banks of the Yi River. The constrution of the grottoes began during the period of Northern Wei (386-534), and continued throughout the following dynasties for over 400 years.
These grottoes were inscribed on the Unesco list in 2000.

The Yungang Grottoes, one of the largest grottoes in China, lie south of Mount Wuzhou about 16 kms west of Datong City, Shanxi Province. The honeycomb-shaped grottoes were carved into slopes of the mountain, extending about one km from east to west. With the constraction of it beginning in 453, the grottoes have a history of more than 1500 years. There are 53 caves, over 1100 Buddhist niches and 51000 statues altogether.

In 2001, the Yungang Grottoes were made a Unesco WHS.

It is a famous scenic area in China. lying in northern Fujian Province, Mount Wuyi possesses a well-preserved ecological environment on a danxia landform. Its main attractions include Jiuquxi River, 36 peaks and 96 caves. The mountain is also famous for its numerous historical and cultural heritages, as well as rich species of animals and plants.
Mount Wuyi was added to the Unesco's list in 1999.

The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas is a Unesco World heritage Site in Yunnan province, since 2003.
Occupying an area that covers 41.300 square miles in northwestern Yunnan Province, the landscape of Three Parallel Rivers is composed of three torrential rivers: Nujiang, Lancang and Jinsha, as well as the mountains in their valleys.

Featuring special geological structure, diverse climate and vegetation, and multifarious biological group, it is a fabulous landscape in the world.

TW-311208

This official from Taiwan also arrived yesterday. The card shows the Hsin-Kuang Pier in Kaohsiung, a city located in southwestern Taiwan.

TW-311208, sent by Mo Yang.

"Hsin-Kkuang Pier is situated by the 85 Tower, the tallest building in the city. First time visitors to Hsin-Kuang Pier will immediately notice that huge red sculpture by the road made from containers, the six meter high viewing platform, and the pedestrian bridge, all of which are beautiful examples of civil engineering and public art.
Hsin-Kuang Pier is now the central section station for the Dudu Train, and a shuttle point for ferry boats." - in: http://lily.1touch.com.tw/harbor/01eng/06hsin-kuang%20pier.htm

PL-221216

Yesterday i've received a lot of cards, one of them was this japanese card with the Odawara Castle. Even though this is a japanese card, sent from Japan, the ID is polish. Apparently the sender travels a lot.

PL-221216, sent by BP.

Odawara Castle is probably the best example of a castle to visit in the immediate Tokyo area.

"The Odawara castle is actually a restoration of the original castle. The original castle was constructed in 1590 by the lord Ujinao Hojo. It was later beseiged and taken over by the Okubo Clan. Fires, wars and earthquake all took their toll on the original building. The new construction was completed in 1960. The viewing area at the top of the castles offers some nice views of Odawara city and nearby Sagami bay. The inside of the castle houses an interesting collection of samurai armour and swords. On the grounds of the castle there is a somewhat out of place small zoo and an elephant." - in: http://www.tokyoessentials.com/odawara.html

JP-168167

Mt. Fuji and cherry blossoms from Japan.

JP-168167, sent by Masayo.

"Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is with 3776 meters Japan's highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people.

Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708. It stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days.

The easiest way to view Mount Fuji is from the train on a trip along the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka. If you take the shinkansen from Tokyo in direction of Nagoyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the best view of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from around Shin-Fuji Station on the right hand side of the train, about 40 to 45 minutes after leaving Tokyo.

Note however, that clouds and poor visibility often block the view of Mount Fuji, and you have to consider yourself lucky if you get a clear view of the mountain. Visibility tends to be better during the colder seasons of the year than in summer, and in the early morning and late evening hours.

If you want to enjoy Mount Fuji at a more leisurely pace and from a nice natural surrounding, you should head to the Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) region at the northern foot of the mountain, or to Hakone, a nearby hot spring resort. Mount Fuji is officially open for climbing during July and August via several routes." - in: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2172.html

BY-180374

And another official card showing an Unesco site, Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh, in Belarus.

BY-180374, sent by Helena.

"Considered by many to be the most beautiful palace in Belarus, Nesvizh Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The castle features wonderfully diverse architecture as well as amazingly beautiful gardens. In 1994 it was designated the national historical and cultural reserve and then in 2005, the area was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list as “Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh” which consists of the 10 interconnected buildings that make up the castle as well as the mausoleum Church of Corpus Christi. The palace buildings and church were important architectural developments in their time and became models for many buildings built in Central Europe and Russia. Nesvizh Castle was owned by the Radziwill family for the majority of the 16th century through 1939 when they were expelled by the Red Army. Since the foundation was laid in 1584, the estate has been rebuilt numerous times which has resulted in the castle featuring a variety of different architectural styles including Neo-Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque." - in: http://www.mostinterestingdestinations.com/landmarks/nesvizh-castle-belarus/