Grands projets europe FDC from FRANCE

FDC name: Grands projets Europe.
Issue date: 19th JUNE 2008
Remark:Nice FDC with good miniature sheet cancelled on the issue date posted to me by my friend from France.
But as you know the handling of letters in India is deterring day by day, The foreign post office(The post office which handelled incoming lettres from outside of INDIA) some body has tear the letter in one side( I am in Eastern side of India so we are handheld by Kolkata foreign post office).It is disgusting.

Taiwan The Inauguration of the 12th President and Vice President of the Republic of China FDC from TAIWAN

FDC Name:The Inauguration of the 12th President and Vice President of the Republic of China
Issue Date:20 May 2008
Details:The election of the 12th president and vice president of the Republic of China was held on March 22, 2008. Mr. Ma Ying-jeou and Mr. Vincent C. Siew were elected. They were sworn into office on May 20, 2008. As is customary, this Post is issuing a set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet entitled "The Inauguration of the 12th President and Vice President of the Republic of China Commemorative Issue" to honor and celebrate this occasion, which were released on the day of the inauguration.The stamps feature portraits of the president-elect, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, and the vice-president-elect, Mr. Vincent C. Siew. The ROC flag, the president's office, the Taipei 101 Building and pictures of various major national construction projects are being used for the backgrounds. The stamps convey the idea that the new government, by leading all the countrymen toward economic prosperity, stable politics, ethnic harmony, better cross-strait relations, and internationalization, will usher in a new era for the country.
Remark:I have received 2 FDC from my friends from Taiwan both are by registered post.

Stag Beetles of Taiwan FDC

FDC Name:Stag Beetles of Taiwan
Issue Date: 5th JUNE'2008
Details:Belonging to the family Lucanidae, order Coleoptera, and class Insecta, stag beetles have large heads and flat bodies. They are called "shovel-shaped bugs" in Chinese because their elytra look like shovels. In order to further understand about stag beetles, this Post is issuing a set of four stamps featuring four endemic species of Taiwan: Neolucanus swinhoei Bates, Dorcus schenklingi Möllenkamp, Lucanus datunensis Hashimoto and Cyclommatus asahinai Y. Kurosawa. The stamps were planned by Mr. Yang Ping-shih, a professor of the Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University.

• NT$5.00: Neolucanus swinhoei BatesNeolucanus swinhoei Bates is found in the mountain areas of the island. They have glossy black heads and nota, and most of them have reddish orange elytra. Males have serrated mandibles with five to seven minute teeth on the inner edges. They like to suck the sap of ring-cupped oaks and tangerine trees. They are typical diurnal stag beetles, and are rarely attracted to light at night.
• NT$5.00: Dorcus schenklingi MöllenkampDorcus schenklingi Möllenkamp is found in the mountain areas of the island. The color of their bodies is black. In larger males, there is an obvious tooth in the middle of their mandibles and a hook-like tooth at the tips. They like to suck the sap of ring-cupped oaks, cork oaks, Castanopsis fargesii and Arishan oaks. Dorcus schenklingi Möllenkamp is a rare and valuable species and is protected in Taiwan. It is against the law to catch beetles of this species from the wild to keep as pets.
• NT$10.00: Lucanus datunensis HashimotoLucanus datunensis Hashimoto is only found in Mt. Datun in northern Taiwan. Males are usually reddish brown with short thick mandibles that bend slightly inwards and are forked at the tips. Their matt elytra have black seams. Females are fewer in number. They have darker coloration and their elytra are glossy. As a diurnal stag beetle, this species is not attracted to light at night.
• NT$12.00: Cyclommatus asahinai Y. KurosawaCyclommatus asahinai Y. Kurosawa is found in the mountain areas of the island. Males are glossy and tan in color. Larger males have mandibles that are forked at the tips. Each of their mandibles has an obvious tooth at the base and a smaller one in the middle. They are attracted to light at night.

Remark:Excellent FDC posted on the issue date by registered airmailpost and reached today

100th Anniversary of the National Taiwan Museum FDC from TAIWAN

FDC Name:100th Anniversary of the National Taiwan Museum.
Issue date:29 May 2008.
Details:Formerly the Taiwan Governor-General's Museum, the National Taiwan Museum, founded in 1908, is the oldest museum in Taiwan. The museum's focus is on natural history. 2008 is the 100th anniversary since the founding of the National Taiwan Museum.

• NT$5.00: The Yellow Tiger Flag of Democratic TaiwanIn 1895, the Cing Dynasty of China ceded Taiwan to Japan. The local gentry petitioned unsuccessfully for the Cing court to reverse the decision. Without China's support, people in Taiwan declared independence and established the Republic of Formosa. The republic's flag featured a yellow tiger on a blue ground. They intentionally chose the tiger, which, however formidable, falls behind the Cing court's dragon.
• NT$5.00: A portrait of Jheng Cheng-gong.This portrait is the earliest and most lifelike of all the extant Jheng portraits. It is believed that Jheng commissioned an artist to paint this portrait in Tainan. In 1911, it was included in the collection of the Taiwan Shrine. Later, a Japanese governor of Taiwan ordered a Japanese painter to make a copy and put it in Kaishan Shrine. That copy is also part of the museum collection today.
• Miniature sheet(S/s): A map of Taiwan: This is the earliest extant map of Taiwan painted on a horizontal silk scroll in the style of Chinese landscape painting. It is 569 cm in length and 70 cm in width. In 1902 the Office of the Taiwan Governor-General bought this map. It then became one of the important holdings of the Taiwan Governor-General's Museum. The museum commissioned painters to paint copies of it, and these copies are likewise found in the National Taiwan Museum's collection.

Remark:Nice FDC posted by my friend from Taiwan

China FDC- White Horse Temple and Mahabodhi Temple (China - India Joint Issue)

FDC Name:White Horse Temple and Mahabodhi Temple(China-India Joint Issue).
Issue Date:6th JUNE 2008.
Details:Two value stamps was issued with a nice First day Cover.The details of the stamps are

• 1.20 Yuan- White Horse Temple, ChinaWhite Horse Temple was the first Buddhist temple in China, established under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han capital Luoyang in the year 68. For more details about the tample please visit the page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Horse_Temple
• 1.20 Yuan (2-2): Mahabodhi Temple, IndiaThe Mahabodhi Temple (Literally: "Great Awakening Temple") is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is located about 96 km (60 miles) from Patna, Bihar state, India. Next to the temple, to its western side, is the holy Bodhi tree. In the Pali Canon, the site is called Bodhimanda, and the monastery there the Bodhimanda Vihara.For More details Please go to this page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabodhi_Temple

About Bodhagaya place where Mahabodi Temple situated:Bodh GayaThe Buddhist Path begins with Faith, then Knowledge, then Experience, and finally Wisdom. Since the Path begins with faith, which can include devotion to the Buddha, in appreciation for the teachings, a good practice to complete some time in your life, is a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya. This is the place in India where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Buddha sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree and attained enlightenment in the year 528 B.C. The Maha Bodhi temple marks this spot. The original Bodhi tree was destroyed and the current one next to the Maha Bodhi temple is a descendant of the original. The original tree was located at the spot of the main Buddha statue in the Maha Bodhi temple, making the temple truly the most sacred spot in Buddhism.
The Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya and also regularly went back there for seclusion, for more meditation, a sort of retreat place for him.

• In Islam, the holiest place is Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammed. The religion is centered around the prophet Mohammed as he is considered the final prophet by many Muslims.
• In Judaism, the holiest place is Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is the capitol of the ancient and modern nation of Israel. The religion of Judaism is centered on ideas that the Jewish people are both a faith and a people. Especially in Israel, the people see themselves as both a people and a religion.
• In Christianity, a very holy place and pilgrimage site is also Jerusalem, but not for the above political reasons. Christians venerate Jerusalem as the place of Jesus' crucifixion. The Christian faith is centered around the death of Christ, believing that Christ rose from the dead in Jerusalem.
• The clear contrast in Buddhism is that it is not the place of his birth, not the place of his death, but rather the place of enlightenment that is so important. Buddhism is a come and see religion with much effort required of each individual. It is a hard work religion and this is why the enlightenment place is venerated most of all.This is not to disparage or say that the other religions are bad or in any way lower, but it is just interesting to see the differences in the religions as to what they define as the most important pilgrimage site.Even though one can achieve enlightenment anywhere, there is a recommendation by the Buddha for pilgrimage for those who can afford it and have the time to do so. From the Maha-parinibbana sutta, Digha Nikaya:“Ananda, there are four places the sight of which will arouse strong emotion in those with faith. Which four? Here the Tathagata (enlightened one) was born, this is the first place. Here the Tathagata attained Enlightenment, this is the second place. Here the Tathagata set in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma, this is the third place. Here the Tathagata attained final Nibbana without remainder, this is the fourth place. The monk or nun, layman or laywoman, who has faith should visit these places. And anyone who dies while making a pilgrimage to these places with a devout heart will, at the breaking up of the body, be reborn in heaven.”
  

Remark:Nice JI FDC posted by my friend from China,he has specially cancelled this FDC for the local postmark and was superb.The FDC reached here safely by Indiapost though it was raining heavily.Mostly in rainy days FDC & postmark are damaged by Indiapost due to poor handling.

Birds of Taiwan (3rd Series) FDC from Taiwan

FDC Name:Birds of Taiwan (3rd Series)
Issue Date: 5th June 2008
Details:
After having issued the first two sets in the "Birds of Taiwan" definitive stamp series on November 3, 2007 and January 30, 2008, this Post is following up with a third set of four stamps, featuring Streptopelia orientalis, Passer montanus, Pica pica and Zosterops japonicus.

• NT$7.00: Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis)This common resident bird, about 30 centimeters in length, is an endemic subspecies of Taiwan. It has orange irises and black pupils. It is lavender from its crown, to its forehead, cheeks, throat and belly, with a black and white striped patch on the side of its neck. The edges of the feathers on its back are brownish orange. The flight feathers are black. The undersides of its wings, and the uppertail and undertail coverts are gray. The tail is black with white edging.
• NT$15.00: Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)This common resident bird is about 14 centimeters in length. It has black eyes and inconspicuous ivory eye rings. Its black beak is short and wide. There is a black spot on its throat and both of its cheeks. It is chestnut from head to nape. Its back is reddish brown with black streaks. There are two white wing bars visible when the wings are closed. The edges of the wings are black. It has buff underparts. Its tail feathers are wheat colored with black trim.
• NT$20.00: European Magpie (Pica pica)This uncommon resident bird is about 45 centimeters in length. It is black from the head to the breast. Its belly is white, its back is the deepest hue of blue, and its under tail coverts are black. Its wings are blue-green with white scapulars. In flight, the white stripes that form a V on its back and the white on the outer edges of its wings become obvious.
• NT$34.00: Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus)This common resident bird ranges between 10 to 11 centimeters. It has black lores and obvious white eye rings, a distinctive feature used for identification. Its back is yellow-green, and its forehead, cheeks, throat and under tail coverts are yellow. It is dull white from the lower breast to the belly. Its tail feathers are green.
  

Remark:Nice FDC by registered airmail post from my friends from Taiwan.The FDC size are excellent for India post postman to carry or else most of the larger size FDC are damaged by them.

The Beijing Olympic-2008 FDC from SLOVAKIA

FDC Name:The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Issue Date: 4th JUNE 2008
Details:

• The XXIX Olympic Games will be held 8 – 24 August 2008 in Beijing, with the slogan 'One World One Dream'.
• The Olympic Football Tournament will be played in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Quinhuangdao, while Qingdao and Hong Kong will host the sailing and equestrian competitions, respectively.
• About 10,500 sportsmen and sportswomen will compete in 302 disciplines (thereof 165 men's, 127 women's, and 10 mixed competitions) covering 28 sports. At the 112th IOC Session, which took place in 2001 in Moscow, Beijing was elected the Host City for the Games, beating candidates such as Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka.
• Today, the official symbol 'Dancing Beijing' invites the world to experience Chinese culture. The modern architecture of sports facilities and the impressive flower decoration of Tiananmen Square - otherwise having very different connotations - should make the impression that the country of over a thousand years' of traditions is ready to make another leap. This time, it's a leap into the 21st century. Controversies on questions such as human rights violations, the situation in Tibet, Myanmar, and Sudan's Darfur, will not lead to the boycotts which hampered the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980 or Los Angeles 1984 – but not the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Honorary President of the IOC, team up with main sponsors like Adidas, Volkswagen, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's in the hope that the Games will be successful.
• About 50 Slovak competitors will expect difficult climatic conditions and tough global competition.
• In view of the recent 15th anniversary of the Slovak Olympic Committee (December 19, 1992), each member of the Slovak Olympic family surely hopes to climb his or her personal 'Mt. Everest' and enrich the Slovak collection of 15 Olympic medals.
• FDC Desingner- Igor Piacka
• FDC Cancellation Design:Igor Piacka
• Total FDC Printed:3600 by Slovak Post
  Remark: Nice 2 nos FDC posted by my friend from Slovakia by registered airmail post with very good design of stamp & FDC .
  
  
  
  

The Summer Palace Souvenir Sheet FDC from CHINA

FDC Name:The Summer Palace.
Issue date:10 May 2008.
Details:Face value of the Souvenir Sheet 6 Yuan.Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha (Foxiang Ge)The Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha,originally built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong and burned down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860, it was rebuilt in its original style during Emperor Guangxu's reign (1875-1908). The octahedral tower has three stories with four-layered eaves, altogether 36.44 meters high. Standing upright on a 20 meter-high stone foundation, it constitutes the center of the Summer Palace landscape and serves to accentuate its magnificence. A statue of the thousand-handed Guanshiyin Buddha, cast in bronze and gilded with gold, stands inside the tower. The statue, five meters high and five tons in weight, was cast during the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty. Set off by the eight imposing pillars which support the tower, it glows with beauty, grandeur and brilliance. Its historical, cultural and artistic value can hardly be overstated.

• Official Website of The Summer Palace

Remark:It is a surprised that 4 FDC with this one was posted by my friend from China by registered post, where as long back I have received 3 nos & this one received today.A strange handling by India post.As usual handling of India post is very bad this FDC was slightly damaged as it is bigger in size.

Fighting Earthquake & Reducing Victims FDC from China

FDC Name:Fighting Earthquake & Reducing Victims.
Issue date:20th MAY'2008
Details:The 2008 Sichuan earthquake at a magnitude 7.9 Mw, occurred at 14:28:01.42 CST (06:28:01.42 UTC) on 12 May 2008 in Sichuan province of China. In China, it was named the Wenchuan earthquake (Chinese: 汶川大地震), after the earthquake's epicenter in Wenchuan County in Sichuan province. The epicenter was 80 kilometres (50 mi) west-northwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, with a depth of 19 kilometres (12 mi). The earthquake was felt as far away as Beijing (1,500 km away) and Shanghai (1,700 km away), where office buildings swayed with the tremor. The earthquake was also felt in nearby countries.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Sichuan_earthquake

Remark:Nice FDC posted on the issue date by my friend from China by registered post and received today.It is very difficult to know why some FDC take more time to reach here????.
I personally pray & tribute to all those who lost life of their near & dear ones in this earthquake.

European Championship in Orienteering Sport-LATVIA FDC

FDC Name:European Championship in Orienteering Sport.
Issue Date:23rd MAY'2008.
Details: This Championship was organised by the Organizing Committee and the Latvian Orienteering Federation ware delighted to be the hosts for the 7th European Orienteering Championships and World Cup in Ventspils, Latvia from 25th May to 1st June 2008.For this special occasion FDC & stamp was re lased.
Remark:Nice FDC posted by my friend from Latvia & reached today.