Pavilions at the Expo

Pavilions across the South

30 Mar 2015 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

India Pavilion; Qatar PAvilion; Oman Pavilion; Pakistan Pavilion (main picture)

In architecture, a pavilion has two primary meanings. It can refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure; or a symmetrical range of buildings in the classical styles, where there is a main central block.

Pavilions were particularly popular in the 18th century and can be equated to the Italian casina, usually rendered in English "casino". These often resembled small classical temples and follies. The postcard shows some pavilions across South and Southwest Asia - from India, Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar - as showcased in the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China.

The theme of the exposition was "Better City – Better Life" and signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as the "next great world city". There were five central theme pavilions at the Expo 2010, exploring different aspects of urban development. They were called Urban Footprints, Urban Planet, Urbanian, City Being, and Urban Future. During the expo, the expo site was crowded with national pavilions, sculpture gardens, shops, a sports arena and clam-shaped performing arts centre.

The other postcard was printed by Mo himself =)

Starry Sky

Head in the sky

30 Mar 2015 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

From the Skye of Scotland, comes another postcard with a different sky. I love staring at the sky - be it a night sky with twinkling stars or the day sky with floating clouds. I would just stare blankly at the sky - stretching my hand as if reaching it, the stars, the clouds. And wonder what if the clouds or stars would carry me away.

Having your head in the sky is not always a bad thing. And watching the clouds float across it or the stars twinkle in the night is by no means a waste of time. A longing to wander tears my heart when I look up the sky. I makes me think that despite its vastness, we are just under one big sky. And hope that I'll keep on shining like one of those stars, and move about freely like a cloud.

Illustrated map of China

Geography of China

10 Mar 2015 | From Karen of China

POSTCROSSING SWAP

China is the most populous and fourth largest country in the world by total area. China is officially known as the People's Republic of China (PRC) and is located in East Asia. It stretches some 5,026 km (3,123 mi) kilometers across the East Asian landmass. China is bordered in the east by the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea, and shares land borders with a total of 14 countries in the north, south and west. It is bound by Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia in the north; Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines in the east; Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Bhutan, and Nepal in the south; and India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan in the west. 

Administratively, China is divided into 22 Provinces (shengs), five Autonomous Regions (zizhiqus), four Government-controlled Municipalities (shihs) and two Special Autonomous Regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The country claims sovereignty over Taiwan as its 23rd province.

By virtue of vast geographical extent, China is endowed with diverse landforms which include hills, mountains, high plateaus, deserts, plains, and deltas. Freshwater lakes in the country are mostly found in the middle-lower Yangtze Plain and include Poyang, Dongting, Taihu, and Hongze. The lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau include Qinghai, Nam Co, and Siling Co. These are saltwater lakes.

The traditional Chinese painting

Ink and Brush Painting

10 Mar 2015 | From Pan of China

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as guóhuà, meaning 'national' or 'native painting', as opposed to Western styles of art which became popular in China in the 20th century. Traditional painting involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black or colored ink; oils are not used. As with calligraphy, the most popular materials on which paintings are made are paper and silk. The finished work can be mounted on scrolls, such as hanging scrolls or hand scrolls. Traditional painting can also be done on album sheets, walls, lacquerware, folding screens, and other media.

Chinese ink and brush painting is defined by a number of different styles, techniques, and genres. The most common types of painting include calligraphy, bird-and-flower painting, ink-and-wash painting, and landscape painting. The most well known of these styles, and often considered synonymous with Chinese ink painting, is ink-and-wash. The different classifications of ink painting often overlap and borrow from one another, making a rigid taxonomy difficult and frequently irresolute, however, basic distinctions can be made based on their historical origins.

Source: artspeakchina

Patterned and dyed

Blue Calico

20 Jan 2015 | From Leighton of China 

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Calico is a plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. The fabric is less coarse and thicker than canvas or denim, but owing to its unfinished and undyed appearance, it is still very cheap. The raw fabric was dyed and printed in bright hues and calico prints became popular in Europe.

The blue calico refers to the deep cobalt blue pattern mostly found in cloth, china, and porcelain. This pattern was derived from early Victorian patterns which had their roots in Chinese porcelain, representing the spring with fallen prunus blossom onto cracked ice.

A college library

Libraries in China

16 Dec 2014 | From Filina of China

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

The postcard shows the college library from where Filina used to study. The first libraries in China came into being during the time of the Shang dynasty as intellectuals known as the Shi (historians) and Wu (diviners) emerged from manual labor to special occupations for the creation and spread of culture. 

Early in the history of China, scholars had extensive private libraries, and all of the imperial dynasties constructed libraries and archives to house literary treasures and official records. The first modern libraries, however, did not appear in China until the late nineteenth century.

At the end of 2004, China had 2,710 public libraries with a collection of over 400 million copies. There were 2,925 public libraries in China in 2011. 

My next TV series addiction

Sherlock

22 Oct 2014 | From Sue of China

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Sherlock is a British television crime drama that presents a contemporary and modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. To date, nine episodes have been produced from three seasons. The first three of which were broadcast in 2010. A friend told me that the next three episodes might be released soon.

The series is primarily filmed in Cardiff, Wales. North Gower Street in London. Critical reception has been highly positive, with many reviews praising the quality of the writing, performances, and direction.

Some friends have been recommending this series to me and I have been reading a lot of praises for the show in the internet and social medias. But it isn't until now that i got interested with it. I was finally able to download all nine episodes and hope ho have a Sherlock marathon this Yuletide holidays.

The sender is a big Sherlock fan. She made and printed this postcard herself.

On the road to San Francisco

Street view of San Francisco

4 Oct 2014 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND | POSTCARD SENT FROM CHINA

San Francisco, USA is one of the cities that Mo hopes to visit some day. He described it as a beautiful, wonderful, and rich city - a city that has a little bit of everything. Though I have never dreamt of going to San Francisco, it may be a great cultural and pleasurable experience if I could. If given the chance to visit the city, I would definitely not let it pass.

San Francisco is a popular tourist destination. It is known for its cool summers, fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of architecture, and landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, the former prison on Alcatraz Island, and its Chinatown district. It is also the cultural center and a leading financial hub of the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

Relativity quote

Some words to live by

4 OCT 2014 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

I remember this from a similar quote from Albert Einstein, 'Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.' It is from his famed work 'Relativity: The Special and the General Theory.'

Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow. Learn from your past mistakes and and failures. But don't dwell so much on them. Let them be your motivation and a reminder not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Look back but don't live for the past. Live in the moment. Seize all opportunities that lay upon you. Take risks. Do all things that make you happy. Live. Breathe. And if you fail, there is always tomorrow. Make plans, set goals, and follow your dreams. And work hard to achieve them. Never let go of hope. Always look forward with confidence and expectation.

The Gate of China

Xiamen City in Fujian Province

4 OCT 2014 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

This postcard shows a view of Xiamen, a beautiful coastal city in Fujian Province in China. The architecture of Xiamen reflects the Western influences from countries that invaded the city for many years - England, France, Germany, USA, and even Japan.

Xiamen is a tourist city of Fujian Province famous for its attractive seascape. As one of the major seaports since ancient times, it boasts a wide gulf with deep water but without freezing and silting. Xiamen means "door to the house", referring to the city's centuries-old role as a gateway to China. The name of 'Xiamen' was consequently given, which means 'a gate of China'.

An Illustration by Xu Beihong

Galloping Horse

10 Sept 2014 | From Li Chen of China

THANK-YOU POSTCARD

This postcard was sent by Li Chen as a simple thank-you for the postcard I sent him in the official Postcrossing. The postcard I sent him happened to be his first received postcard since joining Postcrossing.

The postcard shows a picture of a horse drawn by Xu Beihong (1895~1953), one of the most famous traditional Chinese Art masters. He was primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds and was one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflected a modern China at the beginning of the 20th century. He was also regarded as one of the first to create monumental oil paintings with epic Chinese themes – a show of his high proficiency in an essential Western art technique.

Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard

10 Sept 2014 | From WuXueyang of China

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

"Ripping water shimmering on sunny day,

Misty mountains shrouded the rain; 

Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;

West Lake is always alluring."

These are the words composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo when he compared the West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China. West Lake is a freshwater lake in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China.

West Lake has influenced poets and painters throughout China's history for its natural beauty and historic relics, and it has also been among the most important sources of inspiration for Chinese garden designers. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, described as having "influenced garden design in the rest of China as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries" and reflecting "an idealized fusion between humans and nature".

Source: Wikipedia

Writings on a rock

Chinese Inscriptions

29 Aug 2014 | From Aki of China

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

The postcard provided no details about the picture shown in front, and the sender did not write any about it either. I sent a picture of the postcard to my friend in China to help me with the translations or at least if he knew any detail about the picture shown in the postcard. He said that he can read the words in red easily but haven't got any idea of what it means. It's a big rock or a rock of a hill called Ming Shan (Shan means hill or mount and Ming is its name). This view is in Fujian Province near the sea. 

I am curious as to what the incriptions mean and for what purpose was it written. I also wonder if it is dedicated to someone or something. Or just random words of dedication, greetings, gratitude, etc. The Chinese language must be quite difficult in sense that even they do not know the meaning (or how to read) of some of their words. Though my friend told me that the texts in the rock might probably be some old Chinese characters.

Chinese garden architectural designs

Lin Ben-Yuan Family Abode and Garden

12 Aug 2014 | From Hsiang-Ling of Taiwan

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

The Chinese garden is a landscape garden style which has evolved over three thousand years. There are various architectural types in the garden such as the Ting, Tai, Lou, Ke, Tang, Wu, Xuen, Xie, and so on. A typical Chinese garden is enclosed by walls and includes one or more ponds, rock works, trees and flowers, and an assortment of halls and pavilions within the garden, connected by winding paths and zig-zag galleries. They create an idealized miniature landscape, which is meant to express the harmony that should exist between man and nature.

The Lin Ben Yuan, also known as the Banqiao Lin Family, are a Taiwanese family of businesspeople, politicians, and scholars. The Lin Family Mansion and Garden, the house of family, is a typical Chinese garden which was appointed as a national monument in Taiwan.

Hsiang-Ling now resides in China to look for a job after completing her university degree.

The Qixi Festival

The Chinese Valentine's Day

12 Aug 2014 | From Hsiang-Ling of Taiwan

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

The Qixi Festival, also known as the Qiqiao Festival, is a Chinese festival that celebrates the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in Chinese mythology. It falls on the seventh day of the 7th month on the Chinese calendar. 2014 Chinese Valentine's Day is on August 2, 2104. It is sometimes called the Double Seventh Festival, the Chinese Valentine's Day, or the Magpie Festival. This is an important festival, especially for young girls.

The story began from the good-looking poor orphaned boy living with his elder brother and sister-in-law. After his parents past away, his brother inherited the house and the land. The boy owned an old ox. He needed to work on the farm's field with the ox everyday. So he was called a cowherd. His daily life was just like in a Cinderella story.

The 7th daughter of Emperor is good at handcrafting, especially weaving clothing. So she was called a Weaving Maid. The Emperor likes her skill to weave clouds and rainbows to beautify the world.

It is a love story about the 7th daughter of Emperor of Heaven and an orphaned cowherd. The Emperor separated them. The 7th daughter was forced to move to the star Vega and the cowherd moved to the star Altair. They are allowed to meet only once a year on the day of 7th day of 7th lunar month.

Hsiang-Ling now resides in China to look for a job after completing her university degree.

Source: Chinese Fortune Calendar

On every road we cross alone

Every Road

20 May 2014 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

I love music. And my taste in music is kinda diverse and eclectic. Though I usually listen to Alternative and J-pop, I also have some rock, hip-hop, pop, electronic, rnb, blues, or world music picks. There is always at least one (or two) songs that I like from any random artists that I know.

This postcard reminded me of the song "Every Road" by The Maine. Here's some of the lyrics: "I've been gone for a while, been traveling alone. Searching for a new life when I already had my own. So I walk back home, on every road... On every road we cross alone we're thinking of those we left back home. So follow the lines and I'll be your guide . 'Cause we're the lucky ones..."

The Hunter

Orion

20 May 2014 | From Mo of China

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

Orion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and recognizable constellations in the night sky.  It was named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology.

One good advice

Go home after getting rich

5 May 2014 | From Hsiang-Ling of Taiwan

POSTCROSSING FRIEND (FACEBOOK) | POSTCARD SENT FROM CHINA

In ancient time, people would come back home after making his fortunes and it was the right and proper thing to do. In the picture, one boy carries a treasured bowl on his back while another boy holds a legendary tree. They come from afar, and are happy to return home.

Inner Mongolia Grassland

On the Road

18 Mar 2014 | From Zoey of China

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING | POSTCARD SENT FROM CHINA

The State of Mongolia was formerly known as Outer Mongolia. It contains the original homeland of the historic Mongols, whose power reached its zenith during the 13th century under Kublai Khan. The area accepted Manchu rule in 1689, but after the Chinese Revolution of 1911 and the fall of the Manchus in 1912, the northern Mongol princes expelled the Chinese officials and declared independence under the Khutukhtu, or “Living Buddha.”

Source: Info please

A swap card and letter form China

Taciturn Knight

14 Mar 2014 | From Zifeng of China

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Interestingly, just like Mo, Zifeng talked about her academics and university life. I wonder if it really is tough being a student in China.

The postcard she sent was bought in Wuxi, a beautiful city in Jiangsu province. She saw it lying on a shelf on a specialty store which sells various types of postcards. She called the store as "Postcard Paradise."