The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It is located in the center of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 720,000 m² (7,800,000 sq ft). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum's former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War.

The card shows the Inner Court Complex of the Forbidden City. Thank you SiQi for this lovely card.

Omodos in Cyprus

Omodos is a charming little village in the Troödos Mountains of Cyprus, and while it attracts a lot of holidaymakers, it still retains a character and traditions. Its also a great place to eat, drink and shop. It is also located in the Limassol District of Cyprus and is 80 kilometers from the city of Nicosia. The village produces a lot of wine and holds a wine festival every August. You can visit a 17th Century stone built monastery via a cobblestone path and sample local wine for free at many outlets. You will also find a good mix of restaurants including traditional tavernas and a few modern bars housed in traditional buildings.

In the centre of this village lies the Monastery of the Holy Cross, which contains an alleged fragment of the Holy Rood the cross on which Christ was crucified and brought to Cyprus by St Helen in 327 AD.

The skull of St Philip, the fifth Apostle, is also there and its preserved in a silver casket. Religious, cultural and thrivin. Here you'll find plenty of local crafts like leather bags, belts and clothes, pottery, copperware and lace.

Tourists are generally very familiar with the beaches and the coastal resorts but many are unaware that there is a stunning inland with mountains, pine forests and waterfalls this area is a paradise for nature and outdoor lovers. For the sun worshipper leaving the beaches and the bars isn't easy but you'll be rewarded for your willpower if you drive up into the Troodos Mountains.  

This card gives a view of the quaint narrow sreets of Omodos. Thank you Merja for this lovely card. Yet another reason to visit Cyprus J

Greetings from Turkey

This card from Filiz from Turkey wishes everyone " Happy Eid".

Autumn's Keeper

Alexey sent this card from Russia. It shows a painting by Anastasia Kucherenko titled "Autumn's Keeper". Anastasia Kucherenko is an exponent of Vector Art.

Komsomolskaya Metro station in Moscow

Komsomolskaya is a Moscow Metro station in the Krasnoselsky District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Krasnye Vorota and Krasnoselskaya stations. It is located under Komsomolskaya Square, between the Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky, and Kazansky railway terminals. The station was named for the workers of the Komsomol youth league who helped to construct the first Metro line. It has a transfer at the-same-called-station on the Koltsevaya Line.

Komsomolskaya was built using the cut and cover method, with construction beginning on 3 May 1933. Temporary bridges were built over the construction site to avoid disrupting traffic, especially the numerous tram routes in the area. To counteract the high water table, the station was built on 636 piles which were driven into the saturated soil.

The station was designed by Dmitry Chechulin, and a model of it was displayed at the 1937 Paris World's fair.

This station, with its arched yellow ceiling, is known for being equally beautiful and busy. Though this station was built in the 1950s, it shows influence of the Baroque style, with intricate medallions decorating the ceiling. Mosaics depict scenes from Russian history and historic weaponry.

Thank you Zoya for this lovely card. I had the good fortune of visiting this extraordinary station. But that was a long long time ago.

Orenburg Children's Railway

This card shows a photo of The Orenburg Children's Railway in Russia was constructed at a record-breaking speed. Construction began on 19 May, 1953, and in 68 days, 26 July the same year, its formal opening was held! Five kilometers of track were laid (later another 0.8 km was added). Three stations and 2 intermediate stations on which there were wooden station buildings and high wooden platforms were constructed (in 1957 the platform at the "Plyazh" ("Beach") was closed).

The Children's Railway line passes along one bank of the river Ural from the city up to an area in which 33 Pioneer camps were located. The ChRW was one of the most convenient ways of getting from the city up to the "Pioneer campground". This provided the line with a constant volume of passenger traffic. On holidays the trains are overcrowded.

Orenburg is a transcontinental city and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the Ural River 1,478 kilometers (918 mi) southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 548,331 (2010 Census); 549,361 (2002 Census); 546,501 (1989 Census). From 1938 to 1957, the city bore the name Chkalov (after the prominent test pilot Valery Chkalov). The city's distance from the German invasion during World War II led many Soviet enterprises to flee there, helping to spur the city's economic growth.

Mountain and river tourism is developed in the region. There are a number of fast mountain rivers and rocks in pleated spurs of the southern edge of the Urals range, popular with tourists. The city is famous for its down Orenburg shawls. The thinnest lacy design, knitted by hand shawls and cobweb-like kerchiefs (pautinkas), is not only warm, but also is used for decorative purposes.

Thank you Ludmila for this lovely card.

Happy Holidays in October

This card from Russia wishes "Happy Holidays"during the national celebrations in October. This was during the Soviet days.