Macau, Bhutan and Japan Cards

A couple of cards arrived yesterday. First is a card from Macau. Macau is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's 'Republic of China. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, facing the South China Sea. It is one of the richest cities in the world. Macau was both the first and last European colony in China. The Portuguese first settled in Macau in the 16th century and administered the region until the handover to China on December 20, 1999. The Historic Centre of Macau was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 15, 2005.
This Postcard shows the ruins of St. Paul's , originally built as the Cathedral of St Paul in 1602. It is one of Macau's most famous landmarks.

There are 2 stamps used on the card, both of which were issued in 2006. The stamp on the left is 1 of 4 issued for an invention contest. This one was for computers and IT. The stamp on the left is 1 of a set of 8 featuring daily life scenes.

The card from Bhutan shows Taktshang Monastery. Taktshang is the most famous of monasteries in Bhutan. Built in 1692, it hangs on a cliff at 3120 metres, some 700 metres above the bottom of Paro Valley. The name means "Tiger's Nest", the legend being that Padmasambhava flew there on the back of a tiger. The monastery includes seven temples and can only be reached on foot or by mule.

This card was sent by Leo Van Der Velde, who happened upon this blog and decided to send a card. Thanks Leo, I appreciate that. Leo used 2 stamps , both of which represent national symbols of Bhutan. They are from a souvenir sheet of 4 issued in 2006. The Takin, shown on the left stamp, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. The raven , shown on the right stamp adorns the Royal Crown.

The final card is the one from Japan. It shows an evening view of Nagano Prefecture. It was sent by Junko. She used a 2007 definitive featuring a bird.

That is today's posting.