Kulangsu Island | China

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Kulangsu is a tiny island located on the estuary of the Chiu-lung River, facing the city of Xiamen, China. With the opening of a commercial port at Xiamen in 1843, this island off the southern coast of the Chinese empire suddenly became an important window for international trade.

The statue (the bottom left picture) is in honor of Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga). In 1661, Koxinga defeated the Dutch outposts on Formosa, and established a dynasty which ruled the island as the Kingdom of Tungning from 1661 to 1683.

Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Puerta de entrada a Quetzaltenango | Guatemala

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Quetzaltenango is the second largest city of Guatemala. For Guatemalans the city is better known under the name Xela, which is an abbreviation of the original city name Xelajú.

I received this card more than 5 years ago and luckily not posted it here. There is no operational postal system these days in Guatemala. In 2016 Guatemala’s postal agency,  El Correo de Guatemala, suddenly suspended service due to a contract dispute with Guatemalan government.

The Trulli of Alberobello | Italy

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Alberobello is a small town in southern Italy, famous for its unique trullo buildings.

A trullo is a small dwelling built from the local limestone, with dry-stone walls and a characteristic conical roof.

The Trulli of Alberobello is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Fireworks from Mongolia

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July 1921. In the center of Ulaan-Baatar, the ”hero of the revolution” Damdin Sukhbaatar declares the independence of Mongolia from China.

The Square now bears his name and features a statue of him astride his horse.

==> Wishing you a Happy 2018!!! <==

The Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God | Russia

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Kronstadt is a city located on Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland, about 50 km west of Saint Petersburg. The city was founded by Peter the Great, whose Imperial Russian forces took the island of Kotlin from the Swedes during the Great Northern War in 1703.

The historic centre of the city and its fortifications are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

Saryarka | Kazakhstan

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Saryarka is an important site for migratory water birds in northern Kazakhstan because of its wetlands. It also is the habitat of the Saiga antelope and the Siberian white crane. Both are critically endangered.

Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The archaeological site of Palenque | Mexico

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Palenque was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 6th and 7th century. The ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. AD 799.

Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque is a UNESCO World Heritage site. According to Unesco, the archaeological site of Palenque is one of the most outstanding Classic period sites of the Maya area, known for its exceptional and well conserved architectural and sculptural remains.

Studenica Monastery | Serbia

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The Studenica Monastery is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery, located in Serbia's so called Valley of Kings. This is the place where the first medieval Serbian state was founded and where the kings of the Nemanjić dynasty built their monasteries. Of which several are World Heritage sites.

Flags of the World | Åland Islands

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The Åland Islands is an archipelago at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea belonging to Finland. The flag has been the official flag of this autonomous Finnish province since 1954.

Historic Centre of Warsaw | Poland

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During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85% of Warsaw's historic centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today's meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place.

It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century. source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/30

Wishing you and your loved ones 

                      a Merry Christmas!

Lima, the capital of Peru

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Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru. The historic centre of Lima is known as the “Ciudad de los Reyes” (City of Kings). It was founded by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro in January 1535.

The Archbishop Palace is situated directly at Plaza de Armas, Lima's main square.

Constructions for the Cathedral of Lima and the original "Palacio Arzobispal" started shortly after the foundation of Lima in 1535.

The Historic Centre of Lima is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The city of Orange | France

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Orange is a french city with a rich history, located about 21 km north of Avignon. In the year 1163 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I elevated the city of Orange and the land surrounding it to a sovereign principality within the Empire, an independent enclave within France.

In 1544, William I, count of Nassau, who already had large properties in the Netherlands, inherited the title Prince of Orange. William III of Orange, who ruled England as William III of England, was the last Prince of Orange to rule the principality. In 1713 it was ceded to France under the Treaty of Utrecht.

Jameh Mosque of Isfahan | Iran

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Masjed-e Jāme’ (Friday mosque) is the oldest Friday mosque in Iran, located in the historical centre of Isfahan. With more than 20,000 sq metres, it is the biggest mosque in Iran.

This mosque can be seen as a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over twelve centuries, starting in the year 841. It is the oldest preserved edifice of its type in Iran and a prototype for later mosque designs throughout Central Asia.

Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Lion's Gate in Hattusa | Turkey

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The capital of the Hittites - Hattusa - was surrounded by massive fortifications when the Hittite civilization had a status of the Near East superpower. At least six gates let people enter the interior of the city.

Hattusha: the Hittite Capital is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The property consists of the Hittite city area, the rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya on the north, the ruins of Kayalı Boğaz on the east and the İbikçam Forest to the south.