CHINA POSTCARDS COLLECTION

CHAMELEONS or CHAMAELEONS

(family Chamaeleonidae)

Thanks to Zhang Weifeng

Received: Sept. 23, 2016

     - are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015.  These species come in a range of colors, and many species have the ability to change colors. Color change in it has functions in camouflage, but most commonly in social signaling and in reactions to temperature and other conditions. The relative importance of these functions varies with the circumstances, as well as the species. Color change signals a chameleon's physiological condition and intentions to other chameleons.  Chameleons tend to show brighter colors when displaying aggressively to other chameleons, and darker colors when they submit or "give up".

     Some species, adjust their colors for camouflage in accordance with the vision of the specific predator species (bird or snake) by which they are being threatened.

     All chameleons are primarily insectivores that feed by ballistic projecting their long tongues from their mouths to capture prey located some distance away. 

    Most species, the larger ones in particular, also have a prehensile tail. Chameleons have the most distinctive eyes of any reptile. Each eye can pivot and focus independently, allows it to observe two different objects simultaneously. Chameleons are adapted for climbing and visual hunting. They live in warm habitats that range from rain forest to desert conditions, various species occurring in Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe, and across southern Asia as far as Sri Lanka. They also have been introduced to Hawaii, California, and Florida, and often are kept as household pets.

CHINA (TAIWAN) POSTCARD COLLECTION

TAIPEI 101, (FORMERLY TAIPEI WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER)

Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan

Tallest Building in the World (2004 – 2010)

Tallest and Largest Green Building in the World

TAIPEI 101, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE TAIPEI WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the worlds tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world.  Taipei 101 was designed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture.  Construction started 1999 and was finished in 2004. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since it’s opening. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 features prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media.

Taipei 101 is a commercial offices, comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground.  Architectural height: 509 m (1,669.9 ft), Roof: 449.2 m (1,473.8 ft), Top floor: 439 m (1,440.3 ft). The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of stores, restaurants and clubs.

Taipei 101 is owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation (TFCC) and managed by the International division of Urban Retail Properties Corporation based in Chicago. The name originally planned for the building, Taipei World Financial Center, until 2003, was derived from the name of the owner. The original name in Chinese was literally, Taipei International Financial Center

CHINA POSTCARD COLLECTION

 SPRING FESTIVAL

(Chinese New Year)

 China

TAIWAN POSTCARDS COLLECTION

 QUEEN'S HEAD OF YEHLIU GEOPARK

Taipei, Taiwan, China

Famous Landmark

   Yehliu Geopark, located in a cape of Wanli District of New Taipei City in Northern Taiwan, is a famous tourist spots for its fascinating natural rock formations. The cape, roughly 1,700 m long and 200 m wide with the narrowest part 50 m, was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out of the sea. A distinctive feature of the cape is the different shapes and sizes of hoodoo stones which were formed by the seawater erosion after a prolonged period of time without any artificial sculpturing. Some of the rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes. The most well-known is the Queen's Head rock, a landmark in Yehliu and Taiwan as well. Other formations include the Fairy Shoe rock, Bee Hive rock, angel’s sandal, mushroom rock, honeycomb rock, bean curd rock, candlestick rock, ginger rock and many. These unique landscapes are magnificent works of mother’s nature and are among some of the most spectacular sights in the world.

CHINA (MACAU) POSTCARD COLLECTION

ST. JOSEPH'S SEMINARY and CHURCH 

Macau, China 

St. Joseph's Seminary and Church - Macau, China
Built in the 18th century.  The Society of Jesus formed an academic institution here for their missionary work in the region..

In 2005, the church became one of the designated sites of the Historic Centre of Macau enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Sender:

Thank you Lance

Received:

CHINA POSTCARDS COLLECTION

GIANT PANDA

Sender: 
Thank you Victoria Jane Lee of Malaysia
Date Received: Feb. 26, 2014

CHINA POSTCARDS COLLECTION

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

- UNESCO HERITAGE SITE
- World Most
- Guinness Book of World Record holder
- World / Country / City  Famous landmark

Sender:
Thank you Jiaqi Liu of China
Date Received: Oct. 25, 2013

General information Type: Fortification         Country: China Construction started: 7th century BC Technical details   Size:  21,196 km (13,171 mi) 

UNESCO World Heritage Site:   Official name: The Great Wall   Type: Cultural   Criteria: i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Designated: 1987 (11th session)    Reference No.: 438 State Party: China   Region: Asia-Pacific

Great Wall of China             Literal meaning.... long fortres

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various warlike peoples or forces. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; the majority of the existing wall was reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty.

The Great Wall of China is the longest in the world and has a main-line length of 3460km 2150miles - nearly three times the length of Britain - plus 3530 km 2195 miles of branches and spurs. Construction of the wall began during the reign of Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (220-206BC). Its height varies from 4.5 to 12m 15 to 39ft and it is up to 9.8m 32ft thick. It runs from Shanhaiguan, on the Gulf of Bohai, to Yumenguan and Yangguan and was kept in repair up to the 16th century. Some 51.5km 32miles of the wall have been destroyed since 1966, and part of the wall was blown up to make way for a dam in July 1979. 

The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km (5,500 mi). This is made up of 6,259 km (3,889 mi) sections of actual wall, 359 km (223 mi) of trenches and 2,232 km (1,387 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. 

Another archaeological survey found that the entire wall with all of its branches measure out to be 21,196 km (13,171 mi).

Guinness World Record Collection

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

- UNESCO HERITAGE SITE
- World Most
- Guinness Book of World Record holder
- World / Country / City  Famous landmark

Sender:

Thank you Victoria Jane of Malaysia

Date Received: Oct. 10, 2013

General information Type: Fortification         Country: China  Construction started: 7th century BC Technical details    Size:  21,196 km (13,171 mi) 

UNESCO World Heritage Site:   Official name: The Great Wall   Type: Cultural   Criteria: i, ii, iii, iv, vi

Designated: 1987 (11th session)    Reference No.: 438 State Party: China   Region: Asia-Pacific

Great Wall of China             Literal meaning.... long fortres

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various warlike peoples or forces. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; the majority of the existing wall was reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty.

The Great Wall of China is the longest in the world and has a main-line length of 3460km 2150miles - nearly three times the length of Britain - plus 3530 km 2195 miles of branches and spurs. Construction of the wall began during the reign of Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (220-206BC). Its height varies from 4.5 to 12m 15 to 39ft and it is up to 9.8m 32ft thick. It runs from Shanhaiguan, on the Gulf of Bohai, to Yumenguan and Yangguan and was kept in repair up to the 16th century. Some 51.5km 32miles of the wall have been destroyed since 1966, and part of the wall was blown up to make way for a dam in July 1979. 

The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km (5,500 mi). This is made up of 6,259 km (3,889 mi) sections of actual wall, 359 km (223 mi) of trenches and 2,232 km (1,387 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. 

Another archaeological survey found that the entire wall with all of its branches measure out to be 21,196 km (13,171 mi).