Taiwan - Taipei - Confucius Temple (2)

Taipei Confucius Temple
The Taipei Confucius Temple is located in the Datong District of Taipei. Parts of the temple building, including the Confucius' palace, the side door and the saint shrine were finished in 1881. Due to its solemn and dignified appearance, the temple has become one of city sightseeing spots in Taipei.

Sent by Reya, a postcrosser from Taiwan.

USA - Arkansas - Hot Springs National Park

HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, ARKANSAS
Cascade at Arlington Lawn
The thermal water tumbling over the hillsides is from several of the upper springs. Formerly, these springs issued naturally, creating a massive rock formation known as the Tufa Terrace. The restored flow is again regenerating the terrace rock and providing habitat for rare blue-green algae.

Sent by Dee, a postcrosser from Arkansas, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the city of Hot Springs. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832, and the area was made a national park on March 4, 1921. It is the smallest national park by area in the United States. Since Hot Springs National Park is the oldest federal reserve, it was the first to receive its own US quarter in April 2010 as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters series.

The hot springs flow from the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain, part of the Ouachita Mountain range. In the park, the hot springs have not been preserved in their unaltered state as natural surface phenomena. They have instead been managed to conserve the production of uncontaminated hot water for public use. The mountains within the park are also managed within this conservation philosophy in order to preserve the hydrological system that feeds the springs.

People have used the hot spring water in therapeutic baths for more than two hundred years to treat rheumatism and other ailments. While it was a reservation, the area developed into a well-known resort nicknamed The American Spa that attracted not only the wealthy but indigent health seekers from around the world as well.

The park includes portions of downtown Hot Springs, making it one of the most easily visited national parks. There are numerous hiking trails and camping areas. Bathing in spring water is available in approved facilities at extra cost. The entire Bathhouse Row area is a National Historic Landmark District that contains the grandest collection of bathhouses of its kind in North America, including many outstanding examples of Gilded Age architecture. The row's Fordyce Bathhouse serves as the park's visitor center; the Buckstaff and Quapaw are currently the only facilities still operating as bathhouses. Other buildings of the row are currently in various states of interior restoration or are used in other capacities.

The park has become increasingly popular in recent years, and recorded over 1.5 million visitors in 2003, as well as nearly 2.5 million non-recreational visitors.

Finland - Jyväskylä

Various sports in Jyväskylä.

Sent by Mirella, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Jyväskylä (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈjyvæsˌkylæ]) is a city and municipality in Central Finland in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland. It is the largest city in central Finland and on the Finnish Lakeland. Jyväskylä is located on the northern coast of Lake Päijänne, 147 kilometres (91 mi) north-east of Tampere and 270 kilometres (170 mi) north of Helsinki. The hilly and forested terrain in Jyväskylä is surrounded by hundreds of lakes. The summers in Jyväskylä are warm and winters cold and snowy.

Elias Lönnrot, the compiler of the Finnish national epic Kalevala, gave the city a nickname "Athens of Finland". This nickname is used to describe the major role of Jyväskylä as an education centre and the first place in the world to provide education in Finnish.

The works of the most famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto can be seen throughout the city. The city hosts Neste Oil Rally Finland, which is part of the World Rally Championship. It is also home of the annual Jyväskylä Arts Festival.

As of 31 January 2012, Jyväskylä had a population of 131,997.[2] The city has been one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The Jyväskylä sub-region includes Jyväskylä, Hankasalmi, Laukaa, Muurame, Petäjävesi, Toivakka and Uurainen.

Turkmenistan - Ashgabat - Palace Square

The Palace Square named in honour of Sapamyrat Turkmenbashy the Great. The tall structure is calle the Neautrality Arch.

Sent by Sonya and Travis who visited Ashgabat.

This is from Lonely Planet : Trips to the top of the Arch of Neutrality give commanding views of the enormous Independence Square, on which sits the golden-domed Palace of Turkmenbashi, the Ministry of Fairness, the Ministry of Defence and the Ruhyyet Palace, all of which were built by the French corporation Bouygues Construction, the court builder to Niyazov. Behind this is the Majlis (parliament).

Russia - Saint-Petersburg - The Catherine Park

The Catherine Park. The Cameron Gallery. 1782-86.

Sent by Tanya, a postcrosser from Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Catherine Park (Russian: Екатерининский парк) is a park, located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 25 km south-east of St. Petersburg, Russia. It is an integral part of the royal residence in Tsarskoye Selo.
Catherine Park, which received its name from the Catherine Palace, consists of two parts: a regular old garden and english garden.

Regular garden was laid in 1720 by Dutch masters of landscape gardening on three benches in front of Imperial Palace. At the same time reflecting pool was constructed on the third bench , and there were made two ponds on the river Vangazi flowing from the hill: Upper (Large) and Mill (later included in cascade of Lower ponds).
The main buildings in this garden are Upper bath, Lower bath, Hermitage, Cave, Hermitage Kitchen, Moreyskaya column, Gates, "To my dear colleagues".

The main installations in english park are: Dutch Admiralty, Hall on the Island, Chesme Column, Marble Bridge, Turkish bath, the Pyramid, Red Cascade, Gothic Gate, Ruin Tower, Orlovsky gate, Granite terrace, "Girl with a Jug" fountain, Concert Hall, Cuisine Ruin, Creaky arbor, Evening Hall, Kagul Obelisk, Private Garden.

Brazil - Espírito Santo - Vitória - Costa Pereira Square

View of the Costa Pereira Square in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil

Sent by Borges, a postcrosser from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Spain - Works of Antoni Gaudí (4)

Partial view of  Casa Batlló.

Sent by Jordi, a postcrosser from Barcelona, Spain.

USA - Pennsylvania - Independence Hall

Independence Hall
Independence  Hall was built during the early 18th century as the Pennsylvania State House. The birthplace of the United States, Independence Hall, served as the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress. The Declaration of Independence was signed here on July 4th, 1776 and a nation was born. George Washington. who presided over the "Constitution debate", later became the first President of the United States. Immortalized in bronze, he now boldly welcomes visitors to Independence Hall.

Sent by Ashley, a postcrosser from Philadelphia, USA.

This is from UNESCO : Independence Hall in Philadelphia may be considered the birthplace of the United States of America: it was here that the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the Articles of Confederation uniting the 13 colonies were ratified in 1781, and the Constitution setting out the nation's basic laws was adopted in 1787, after George Washington had presided over the debate, which ran from May to September.

The building was designed by Andrew Hamilton to house the Assembly of the Commonwealth (colony) of Pennsylvania. Finished in 1753, it is a modest brick structure with a steeple that was intended to hold a 2,080 lb (943 kg) bell. The bell, however, has cracked twice and stands silently on the ground in a special shelter (a reproduction now hangs in the steeple). Independence Hall is important not for its architectural design but for the documents of fundamental importance to American history drafted and debated here that formed the democracy of the United States.

The building has undergone many restorations, notably by Greek revival architect John Haviland in 1830, and by a committee from the National Park Service in 1950, returning it to its 1776 appearance. The universal principles of freedom and democracy have also had a profound impact on lawmakers around the world.

Independence National Historical Park, located in downtown Philadelphia ('Centre City'), interprets events and the lives of the diverse population during the years when the city was the capital of the United States, from 1790 to 1800. A section of the park where Benjamin Franklin's home once stood is dedicated to teaching about his life and accomplishments. Spanning approximately 18 ha, the park has about 20 buildings open to the public.

Germany - Unter den Linden

Pedestrian Traffic Light. Unter den Linden.

Sent by Manuela, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : Unter den Linden ("under the linden trees") is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden (lime in British English) trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways.

Unter den Linden runs east–west from the site of the former Stadtschloss royal palace at the Lustgarten park, where the demolished Palast der Republik used to be, to Pariser Platz and Brandenburg Gate. Eastward the boulevard crosses the Spree river at Berlin Cathedral and continues as Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. The western continuation behind Brandenburg Gate is Straße des 17. Juni. Major north–south streets crossing Unter den Linden are Friedrichstraße and Wilhelmstrasse.

Unter den Linden at the heart of the historic section of Berlin developed from a bridle path laid out by Elector John George of Brandenburg in the 16th century to reach his hunting grounds in the Tiergarten. It was replaced by a boulevard of linden trees planted in 1647, extending from the city palace to the gates of the city, by order of the “Great Elector” Frederick William. While the western part of the boulevard retained its character, the area around present-day Bebelplatz was integrated into the fortification of Berlin in the aftermath of the Thirty Years' War, visible until today as there are no trees.
By the 19th century, as Berlin grew and expanded to the west, Unter den Linden became the best-known and grandest street in Berlin. In 1851 the famous equestrian statue of King Frederick II of Prussia was erected on the centre strip, designed by Christian Daniel Rauch. In the course of the building of the Nord-Süd-Tunnel for the Berlin S-Bahn in 1934–35, most of the linden trees were cut down and during the last days of World War II the remaining trees were destroyed or cut down for firewood. The present-day linden were replanted in the 1950s; they are affected by air pollution as well as by soil contamination.

Slovenia - Mapcard (2)

Multiviews of Slovenia.

Sent by Jože, a postcrosser from Nova Gorica in Slovenia.

Turkmenistan - Ashgabat - "President" Hotel

"President" Hotel in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Sent by Sonya and Travis who visited Turkmenistan.

This is from Wikipedia : Prezident Myhmanhansy - or the «President Hotel» is a five star hotel located in the Ashgabat, Turkmenistan along the Archabil Freeway on 18 km far from Ashgabat Airport and 12 km far from Ashgabat Railway Station.  Ultra modern «President Hotel» was built in 2004 in the south part of the capital, 10 km from the center of the city. Hotel is located in the beautiful park zone. The building of the Hotel is buried in verdure. There are two cascades of the fountains around Hotel, pool with the beach, two tennis courts and guarded parking.
«President Hotel» is meant first of all for native and foreign delegations, but is always ready to accept Turkmenistan residents and foreign guests, traveling by themselves.

Hotel offers 152 rooms equipped with furniture from the best Europe trade houses. Prices include breakfast.

Hotel offers also conference halls for 120 places, banquet hall for 250 places, lobby-bar, fitness-club, pool, sauna, VIP-restaurant for 102 places.
 

Bicycle (19)

Sent by Katherine, a postcrosser from Russia.

Indonesia - Masjid Agung

Masjid Agung in Surakarta (or Solo), Indonesia.

Sent by Shinta, a postcrosser from Semarang, Indonesia.

USA - Kentucky - Balloon Race at Kentucky Derby Festival

KENTUCKY
Balloon Race, Kentucky Derby Festival, Louisville.

Sent by JoBeth, a postcrosser from Kentucky, USA.

This is from Wikipedia :  The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby. The festival, Kentucky's largest single annual event, first ran from 1935–1937, and re-started in 1956 and includes:

*  Thunder Over Louisville, the largest annual fireworks display in North America;
*  the Great Balloon Race;
*  The Great Steamboat Race, featuring the Belle of Louisville;
*  the Pegasus Parade, one of the largest parades in the United States; and
*  the Derby Marathon and mini-Marathon.

Singapore - Geylang Serai Malay Village

The Geylang Serai Malay Village - It is brightly decorated for Hari Raya Puasa.

Sent by Eileen, a postcrosser from Singapore.

This is from Wikipedia :  The Malay Village (Malay: Kampung Melayu) is a museum in Geylang, Singapore where they showcases the life of the Malays who used to live in the area before redevelopment in the 1960s.

In the 1960s, Geylang was being redeveloped with the completion of many Housing Development Board (HDB) flats, light industrial estates and complexes. Majlis Pusat, the umbrella body for Malay cultural groups proposed an idea of a Malay village in the 1970s. The purpose is to showcase Malay culture to visitors and to provide a place for selling Malay souvenirs. The suggested location is Pasir Panjang. In August 1980, Ahmad Mattar, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, announced plans for the village which the then Minister for National Development, Teh Cheang Wan, gives approval in principle in November 1981. The official approval was given by the Government in February 1984 with Geylang as the chosen site.

The construction of the village began in 1986 and completed in 1989 and it costs the HDB $10 million. In September 1991, the Ananda group of companies, run by Hong Kong businessman Clarence Cheung, won the tender with a bid of $3.8 million to run the Malay Village. Plans were proposed to build a $10 million high-tech Islamic cultural museum in the village which did not materialise. Tender for the shops were open in 1992 but only eight shops out of 70 were open with seven out of 45 successful bidders pull out. An advisory panel was also formed.

In 2006, a new management, Malay Village Pte Ltd, took over the village and makes a police report with regards to the Malay Village's accounts. However the village has already a six-digit debt with insufficient funds to pay it. In 2008, Malay Village Pte Ltd announces plans to revive the place. However, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), in the same year, announced plans to demolish the Malay Village after its lease ends in 2011 and to build a suburban commercial hub which includes a civic centre, a 2,000 sq m open plaza space, commercial developments and a new road. Appeals to the URA by shop tenants, management and Marine Parade GRC's Member of Parliament, Fatimah Lateef, were rejected.

On 17 Nov 2010, a Eid al-Adha ritual, organised by the Inter-racial and religious confidence circle of Kampong Ubi Kembangan and Geylang Serai, was held at the Malay Village. It was the first time the ritual was performed there. The Malay Village was chosen as it was the operation centre of Mini Environment Service, the Government's appointed korban vendor.

Bahrain - Gudaibiya Juma Mosque

Gudaibiya Juma Mosque with greenery around in Kingdom of Bahrain.

Sent by Euna from Bahrain.

Bahrain - Old Khamis Mosque

Old Khamis Mosque in Kingdom of Bahrain.

Sent by Euna from Bahrain.

This is from Wikipedia : The Khamis Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الخميس‎; transliterated: Masjid al-Khamys) is believed to be the first mosque in Bahrain, built during the era of the Umayyad caliph Umar II. The identical twin minarets of this ancient Islamic monument make it easily noticeable as one drives along the Shaikh Salman Road in Khamis. It is considered to be one of the oldest relics of Islam in the region, and the foundation of this mosque is believed to have been laid as early as 692 AD. An inscription found on the site, however, suggests a foundation date sometimes during the 11th Century. It has since been rebuilt twice in both 14th & 15th centuries, when the minarets were constructed. The Khamis mosque has been partially restored recently.

Islam was propagated to Bahrain in the 7th century AD when Muhammad sent an envoy Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami, preaching Islam to the Governor of Qatar and Bahrain at the time, Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi.

Cape Verde - Sal Island

Ilha do Sal or Sal Island.

Sent by Michaela who visited Cape Verde.

This is from Wikipedia : Sal (Portuguese for “salt” — from the mines at Pedra de Lume) is an island in Cape Verde. It belongs to the northern group of islands, called Barlavento. The island is composed by a single administrative division, the Sal municipality. The island is home to Amílcar Cabral International Airport, the main airport of Cape Verde.

The island is 30 km long by 12 km wide. It is one of the three sandy eastern islands (Sal, Boa Vista and Maio) of the archipelago, with white sandy beaches and fairly flat. The highest elevation of 406 m is at Monte Grande. Serra Negra has a height of 92 m.

Sal Island has on average 350 days of sunshine a year. Winds mainly blow from the northeast. However, many days do also have cloud, but it tends to be broken and seldom brings rain. The 'rainy season' is from August to mid-October, although rainfall is still low.

The island was discovered on December 3, 1460 and named Llana until salt deposits were found. Sal is the geologically oldest island in Cape Verde, formed 50 million years ago during the eruption of a volcano which is now inactive.

Short-Snouted Seahorse (Hippocampus brevirostris)

Short-Snouted Seahorse (Hippocampus brevirostris).

Sent by Olia, a postcrosser from Lithuania.

This is from Wikipedia :  The short-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus hippocampus, is a species of seahorse in the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and parts of the North Atlantic, particularly around Italy and the Canary Islands. Colonies of the species have recently been discovered in the River Thames around London and Southend-on-Sea.

Their preferred habitat is shallow muddy waters, estuaries or seagrass beds.

In the United Kingdom they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Netherlands - Amersfoort Kei

Amersfoort Kei.

Sent by Hilde, a postcrosser from Netherlands.

"The nickname for Amersfoort, Keistad (boulder-city), originates in the Amersfoortse Kei, a 9-tonne (19,842 lb) boulder that was dragged from the Soest moors into the city in 1661 by 400 people because of a bet between two landowners. The people got their reward when the winner bought everyone beer and pretzels. Other nearby towns then nicknamed the people of Amersfoort Keientrekker (boulder-dragger/puller). This story embarrassed the inhabitants, and they buried the boulder in the city in 1672, but after it was found again in 1903 it was placed in a prominent spot as a monument. The fact is there are not many boulders in the Netherlands, so its a bit of an icon. It has been stolen regularly as a prank." (Source)

Russia - Karelia Republic - Chapel of the Vernicle

Kizhi. Chapel of the Vernicle from the village of Vigovo.
The second half of the 17th century.

Sent by Tatiana, a postcrosser from St-Petersburg, Russia.

Australia - Plumed Whistling-Duck

Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni).

Sent by Vikki, a postcrosser from Sydney, Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Plumed Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni), also called the Grass Whistle Duck , is a whistling duck which breeds in New Guinea and Australia. It is a predominantly brown-coloured duck with a long neck and characteristic plumes arising from its flanks. The sexes are similar in appearance.

Described by English naturalist Thomas Campbell Eyton in 1838, its specific epithet honours its namer. Its generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms dendron "tree", and kuknos (via Latin cygnus) "swan". Alternate common names include; Eyton's Plumed, Red-legged or Whistling Tree-duck, and Grey or Red-legged Whistler
Measuring 42–60 cm (16.5–24 in) and weighing around a kilogram, it is a long-necked duck with brown upperparts, paler underparts and a white rump. The chest is chestnut with thin black bars, while long black-margined plumes arise from its flanks. Its bill and legs are pink, and its iris is yellow. The male and female are similar in appearance. The species has a characteristic lowered neck and short, dark, rounded wings while flying.


The call is a characteristic whistle which gives the bird its common name.

Netherlands - Friesland

Multiviews of Friesland.

Sent by Alberdina, a postcrosser from Netherlands.

This is from Wikipedia :  Friesland , West Frisian: Fryslân, Dutch: Friesland; Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfris.lɑnt]) is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient, larger region of Frisia.

Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân. Nevertheless, Friesland remains in common usage, being the Dutch (and English) name for the province. Friesland has 646,000 inhabitants (2010) and its capital is Leeuwarden (West Frisian: Ljouwert), with 91,817 inhabitants, in the centre of the province.

Fryslân distinguishes itself from the other eleven provinces by having its own language, West Frisian, which is also spoken in a small adjacent part of the province of Groningen, to the east. Closely related languages, East Frisian ("Seeltersk", which is different from "East Frisian (Ostfriesisch)", a collection of Low German dialects of East Frisia) and North Frisian, are spoken in the Saterland and in North Friesland areas in Germany, respectively.

Friesland is mainly an agricultural province. The famous black and white Frisian cattle and the well known black Frisian horse originated here. Tourism is another important source of income, with the principal tourist destinations including the lakes in the southwest of the province, and the islands in the Wadden Sea to the north.
Another interesting feature is the presence of many windmills. There are 195 windmills in the province of Friesland, from a total of about 1200 in the entire country.

Germany - City Hall of Düsseldorf

The historic townhall of Düsseldorf in the Altstadt.

Sent by Sabine, a WiP partner from Germany.

United Kingdom - England - Tower of London (2)

The Tower of London.

Sent by Brian, a postcrosser from Bournemouth, England.