Polish Folk Art

Wycinanki is the Polish folk art of paper cutouts. Pronounced vee-chee-non-key, it is known throughout the world as a beautiful paper cut art form. Wycinanki are handmade and have a very distinctive look. Multiple layers of colored paper are folded, cut and sometimes embossed to create wonderful patterns. The intricacy of the designs is created by repeating symmetrical patterns and folk motifs inspired by nature and geometric forms. Wycinanki cutouts come in many different sizes. Wycinanki became a popular folk craft in the mid 1800’s and was used by Polish peasants to decorate the walls and ceiling beams in countryside cottages. They were also given as gifts to family members and friends. A form of decoupage was used; the intricate designs were cut with scissors and glued to whitewashed walls and ceiling beams to create a happy cheerful appearance.

The colorful cutouts of flowers, circles, roosters and stars with a symmetrical arrangement reflect a high level of folk art artistry. Wycinanki cutouts are in a wide variety of colors and shapes including peacocks, roosters and other birds as well as rural scenes. They are also used for special occasions such as Christmas and Easter. Wycinanki remains a treasured form of Polish folk art.

This distinctive and lovely card was sent to me by Ada from Warsaw.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral is an impressive marvel of medieval architecture. Further to my post on 2.12.2011, here is another lovely view of the famous Notre Dame Cathedral sent to me by Maria.

Qu Yuan Memorial

Located in Zigui County in Hubei Province, the Qu Yuan Memorial in Zigui is a memorial of Chinese historical figures. It was opened to the public in 1981. Françoise sent me this pretty card.

There are two floors of exhibition halls -- the second floor displays more than 800 unearthed relics in the county, such as ancient daggers, spears and swords, the most precious of which is the sword of the Yue King Goujian of the Warring States Period (475-221BC); the first floor showcases cultural relics related to Qu Yuan, including the precious poetry Chu Ci (literally, poetry of the Chu Kingdom), 500 sets of books collected by Qu Yuan, and over 300 calligraphic works and paintings of various dynasties collected by him.

The memorial also houses the stone sculpture and bronze sculpture of Qu Yuan, the Jusong Pavilion (the pavilion used to praise tangerines), and the stele corridor. The stone sculpture of 103 centimetres tall was made in the 16thyear (1573) during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1644-1911) with the money donated by the common people in Guizhou, and is the earliest extant stone sculpture of Qu Yuan in China. The bronze sculpture stands in the centre of the memorial, its pedestal made of granites is 2.5 meters high and the body is 3.92 meters tall. In the tangerine grove 50 meters away from the Qu Yuan Tomb, there are 60 steles carved with 25 pieces of Qu Yuan's poetry Li Sao(Sorrow after Departure).

A small town in Cyprus

A serene and peaceful scene from a small town in Cyprus. I'd love to be there forever. Thank you Merja for this lovely card.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the longest wall in the world and is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This Wall of China was built by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty during 221 B.C - 206 B.C., over 2,000 years ago.

The wall is 6,400 km long, which is around 4000 miles. It stretches from Shanhai Pass in the east to Lop Nur in the west. It actually demarcates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The structure is one of the greatest structures built by man using a series of stone bricks, tiles, and lime from the hills. The steps that form the Great Wall of China are very abrupt and lofty in some areas. Climbing the Great Wall is not so easy. Mao Zedong said "You're not a real man if you haven't climbed the Great Wall". But over a period of time a promotional slogan 'real man stone' has been engraved on it. The Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the Mongolians and other enemies. The earthen fortifications of this Great Wall have many gaps where weapons, smoke signals, and house troops were being stored. Here the barracks and administrative centers are located at regular intervals. This Great Wall had the ability to communicate well to the military forces and warning the garrisons of enemy movements.

There were many Signal Towers built upon hilltops for any visibility. The Wall has many famous scenic spots and nearly 10 million tourists visit every year from all over the country. It was made UNESCO’s world Heritage Site in 1987. In the period of Warring States, many extensive fortifications were constructed by the states of Qi, Yan and Zhao to defend their own borders. They were built to withstand the attack of small arms such as swords and spears and these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames.

In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered all opposing states and unified China and in order to prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he removed the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. But to protect the empire against external intrusions by the Xiongnu or the Turks, he ordered to build a new wall connecting the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier. As procuring building materials was difficult, local resources like stones from mountains were used. Many of these walls were ruined during the period and Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties repaired, rebuilt, and expanded the sections of the Great Wall.

The picture on the card is of the Great Wall at the very picturesque location of Heituoshan Jiankou, which is Northwest of Huairou. Françoise gave this lovely card to me.

Treasures of Latvia

This picture postcard is one of 8 of the Postcard collection ”Latvian Treasures” which has opened a small peephole in the window of the indescribably rich collection of the Latvian museum. Collection of eight postcards are made, using materials from the museum exhibitions and storage and trying to show variety of culture and styles in the territory of Latvia. This card concentrates on Women’s jewelry of Latvia during the 6–13th centuries. Thank you Maija, who sent me this card from Riga.

Taoist Temple

Built in 1972, the Cebu Taoist Temple is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City, Philippines. The temple was built by Cebu's substantial Chinese community. With an elevation of 300 meters above sea level, the temple is a towering, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes.

Unlike the neighboring Phu Sian Temple, the Taoist temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. A ritual among devotees is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could make a wish. If not then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time.

The temple is the center of worship for Taoism, the religion which follows the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tze. Another ritual among Taoist devotees, which is done during Wednesdays and Sundays,^[3]is the climbing of its 81 steps (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures) to light joss sticks and have their fortune read by the monks.

Some guide books and travel agencies offer trips to the temple or as a side-trip in a tour around Cebu City. But it is more popular with grade school students. No student who grew up in Cebu City or the neighboring Mandaue City has not gone to the temple in any one of their field trips.

The entrance to the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China. The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well. The spacious balconies offer a scenic view of the downtown Cebu. This extremely pretty card was sent to me by Gina.