Imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties | China

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The Ming and the Qing dynasties were the last two ruling imperial dynasties of China. The Ming dynasty for 276 years, from 1368 to 1644. The Qing dynasty from 1644 to 1912.

The Imperial Tombs are seven groups of tombs in five provinces of eastern China, which are included in the World Heritage by UNESCO.

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The Confucian Temple | China

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The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator are located at Qufu, in Shandong Province, China. Qufu was the hometown of Confucius who lived from 551-479 BC.

The temple complex comprises more than 100 buildings. The Great Accomplishment Hall is the major structure of the Confucian Temple. The 33 meters tall hall houses an impressive statue of Confucius.

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The Great Wall | China

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The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China. To protect the empire against raids and invasions.

The Badaling section is the most visited section of the Great Wall and is located approximately 80 kilometres from Beijing city. This part of the wall was built in 1504 during the Ming Dynasty. 

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Along the Silk Route on a camel | China

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The Silk Road was a network of trade routes between China and the Mediterranean. China silk comprised a large proportion of the trade along this ancient road, hence the name.

 

A 5,000 km section of the network is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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This set of stamps is titled “ The Silk Road”, it was issued in 2012.

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Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) | China

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Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) are located in the North-Western Province of Gansu, near the city of Dunhuang, China. This city was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road, a network of overland trade routes that linked China with the Mediterranean.

The site includes hundreds of grottoes excavated in the local soft rocks. The constructions started in the 4th century and for over 10 centuries more and more caves have been added by the Buddhist monks.

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Dazu Rock Carvings | China

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The Dazu Rock Carvings are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back as far as the 9th century. These carvings can be found in 76 places in Dazu County with a total of 60,000 stone statues.

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17-Arch Bridge | China

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The Seventeen-arch Bridge connects the eastern shore of Kunming Lake and Nanhu Island. It is 150 metres in length and 8 metres in width, and is composed of seventeen arches, hence its name. It is the largest stone bridge in the China. The bridge was built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799). 

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Wulingyuan Scenic Area | China

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Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hunan Province, China. It is noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks across most of the site, many over 200 metres in height, along with many ravines and gorges with attractive streams, pools and waterfalls.

The Tianqiashengkong (the bridge across the sky) rises 357m above the valley, making it one of the highest natural bridges in the world.

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(left) The Brown Eared Pheasant. Part of a set of ten stamps about Protected wildlife (issued in 2000). Three of the stamps depicts birds. Here you see the other two bird stamps. 

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Fujian Tulou | China

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Tulou sites are located in the mountainous areas in southeastern Fujian, China. A tulou is usually a large, enclosed and fortified building, most commonly rectangular or circular shape, with very thick earth walls between three and five stories high and housing up to 80 families.

Smaller interior buildings are often enclosed by these huge peripheral walls which can contain halls, storehouses, wells and living areas, the whole structure resembling a small fortified city.        

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Part of a set of three stamps about Protected wildlife (issued in 2000). Three of the stamps depicts birds. (left) the Crested Ibis and (right) Red-crowned Crane. Here you see the Brown Eared Pheasant. 

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Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army | China

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In 1974 a group of farmers digging wells near Xi'an, China discovered the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang founder of the first unified empire in Chinese history. The mausoleum dates back to 246 BCE.

The life-size terracotta solider they dug out of the ground turned out to be just one of an army of thousands, each utterly unique, with individual clothing, hair and facial features. For almost four decades, archaeologists have been excavating the site. So far, they've uncovered about 2,000 clay soldiers, but experts estimate there are more than 8,000 in total.

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The Stone City of Tashkurgan | 塔什庫爾幹鎮

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The name of Tashkurgan means "stone city" or "stone fort", and the town lies in the extreme South-West of the province of Xinjiang (China), in the Tajik Autonomous County.

It is an ancient outpost along the Silk Road, situated close to the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Afghanistan and Pakistan. At an altitude of 3600m, it lies at the foot of the road leading to the Kunjerhab Pass, the Karakoram Highway.

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Paracel Islands | 西沙群岛

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The Paracel Islands are one of four big island groups in the South China Sea. The islands are known as Xisha in Chinese and as Hoàng Sa in Vietnamese. The Paracel Islands is a group of islands whose sovereignty is disputed among the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan and Vietnam.  The archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves.

 

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China and New Zealand in 1997 jointly issued the stamps "Flowers" to promote the friendship between the two nations. The stamps picture a China Rose (left) and a New Zealand Monthly Rose (right).

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The magnificent scenery of the Li River

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The Lijiang or Li river is located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It is quite easy to see why Huangbu Shoal attracts many tourists and photographers each year.

There are seven green Karst peaks to be seen. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks.

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Qibao Ancient Town, Shanghai

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Qibao Ancient Town is one of the oldest and most famous towns in Shanghai. The town was built in the Five Dynasties Period about 1,000 years ago. The town is crossed by two water lanes. Around the water lanes stand a large number of well preserved traditional houses, gardens, temples, shops and restaurants which define the very character of the place. 

With a population of 25 million, Shanghai is the largest city in China. Imagine this tranquil place is located only 15 kilometers from downtown Shanghai.    

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In 1998 China issued four stamps about Architecture of Dai Nationality. The stamps depict a Pagoda (left) and a Pavilion (right). The Dai Nationality is one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by China. They live in the Dai Autonomous Prefectures in Yunnan Province.  

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The Forbidden City, Beijing, China

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Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China. It is the third largest city square in the World and main gate to the Forbidden City, the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was forbidden to enter without special permission of the emperor.

The Meridian Gate is the main gate to the Forbidden City. Everyone who entered the Forbidden City in the old days had to observe the strict rules concerning the total five doors of the Meridian Gate. The central doorway was for the exclusive use of the emperor. However, an empress was granted the privilege of using this opening once, and only once, on her wedding day.

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(left) One World One Dream - 2008 Beijing Olympic special sheet: boxing

(middle) Protected wildlife, the Brown Eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum)

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Temple of Heaven | 天坛: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing

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The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings.

Built in 1420, the complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.

The Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO WHS site.

 

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(left) Xinjiang Ground Jay

(right) The stamp is one out of a set of eight stamps about fish that live only in the South China Sea. 

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Lushan National Park, China

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Lushan National Park is a well-known tourist attraction located in the south of Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province. The national park covers an area of 500 square kilometers and has more than 90 mountain peaks.

Lushan owes its reputation to its wonderful, elegant, steep and spectacular features that embrace ravines, waterfalls, grottoes, rocks and rivulets.

Lushan National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

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(left) The Xinjiang Ground-Jay. 

(right) The stamp is one out of a set of eight stamps about fish that live only in the South China Sea. 

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China's tallest buildings

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The Shanghai World Financial Center was planned to be the tallest building in the world when it was designed in 1997. The 97 Story building would surpass the spires of the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

When Construction was restarted in 2003, the 508 Meter Taipei 101 in Taiwan was already underway to becoming the World's Tallest Building. Plans where changed but the Tower couldn’t be built any higher than its present height at 492 meters since the already done foundation was meant to support a 460 meter tall building. 

The slightly smaller skyscraper is the 420.5 meters high Jin Mao Tower. "Jin Mao" means "Golden Prosperity" in Chinese.

On the left you see the Oriental Pearl Broadcasting & TV Tower. With 468 meters one of the tallest broadcasting towers in the world.

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Terraced Rice Fields, China

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The Longji Terraced Rice Fields are located 14 miles from Longsheng city. They are the most famous rice terraces in China. Construction started in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and the fields cover an area of over 16,300 acres and at its highest point is 3600 feet high.

Longji means Dragon’s Backbone. The Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon.

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(right) The stamp is one out of a set of eight stamps about fish that live only in the South China Sea. 

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Travertine landscape and pools of Huanglong, China

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Huanglong  is a scenic and historic interest area in the northwest part of Sichuan, China. Colored travertine ponds are the main landscapes in Huanglong.

The large travertine accumulations, created by the arctic-alpine environment, are rarely seen in other parts of the world. Layer over layer, travertine ponds look like terraces under green waters dazzling under the sun.

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