Christmas in today's China

Christians postmark---form China

If you walked around a major Chinese city 20 years ago, you probably wouldn't have seen many signs of Christmas.This is because Christmas is a Christian holiday and not many Chinese people are Christian.
However, if you were to visit those same Chinese cities today, you'd see signs of Christmas everywhere you looked!On the Avenue of Eternal Peace in Beijing, Qinghai,ect China, there are Christmas displays everywhere.Many Chinese people celebrate by decorating their houses with Christmas trees, cooking and eating special foods, and spending time with family and friends.
So yes, the Chinese celebrate Christmas.
But no, most do not celebrate it for the same reasons that Christians do.

Olympics in China

China's application for the Olympic Games in 2000.The election was lost to Sydney with only two votes. Reputedly the Australian John Coates bribed the IOC members Charles Mukorea (Kenya) and Francis Njangweso (Uganda) on the eve of the election during dinner offering them 35.000 dollars each masked as sport development aid. Despite that Chinese athletes successfully participated in the Games in Sydney in 2000 and won 3rd rank behind the USA and Russia with 28 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze medals ,in 2004 Olympic Games.....

(Same day's propaganda postmark)
In 2002 Salt Lake Games, Yang Yang spent 44.187 seconds to cross the finish line first in the women's 500 meters short track speed skating, winning the gold medal that China has been longing for more than two decades in winter Olympics.

(Same day's propaganda postmark)
One week later, Yang Yang won the women's 1000m short track speed skating race, giving its seconds gold medal.

Beijing was competing against Toronto, Osaka, Istanbul and Paris for the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games

The application holds 2008 summer Olympics to obtain successfully


Fuwa are probably the most meaningful Olympic mascots in the history. Actually, when designers design them, they put many symbolic meanings into these five mascots that represent traditional culture and natural characteristics of China, which might be very difficult for foreigners to understand.
Basically, the name of the five Fuwa: "Beibei", "Jingjing", "Huanhuan", "Yingying" and "NIni" altogether in Chinese means welcome to Beijing. And they represent for five Olympic rings and also the five elements in Chinese philosophy. The five image of Fuwa come from the original shape of Chinese sturgeon, panda, Olympic flame, Tibetan antelope and swallow.


2008 Beijing Olympic Games the emblem.The upper part of the logo is a Chinese seal with only one Chinese character Jing in the shape of a dancing human.It also resembles a man opening his arms to welcome visitors.





Let’s keep passing the spirit of Olympic and world peace throughout Baidu!

Amadeo Modigliani

Modigliani was born on 12th July 1884 in Leghorn (Livorno, Italy), and grew up in a Jewish ghetto, where he suffered serious illnesses as a boy.He studied art in Florence and in 1906 moved to Paris, where he became acquainted with Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and other avant-garde artists living there.In Paris, Modigliani led a reckless, dissipated life that gradually affected on his health.His talents as an artist, however, were never doubted by fellow artists.He was influenced by Fauvism....


Fine examples of Modigliani's figure paintings are a number of his Reclining Nude, of which he has made a large number. They are all elegant, arresting arrangements of curved lines and planes as well as a striking idealization of feminine sexuality. Today his graceful portraits and lush nudes at once evoke his name, but during his brief career few apart from his fellow artists were aware of his gifts.

A wonderful painting of "Lady with Straw Hat".

in 1977, at the occasion of the International Rubens Year, celebrating his 400th birth anniversary.

Rubens's portraits were very popular in the 18th century.
A wonderful painting of "Lady with Straw Hat". The model was Suzanne Fourment, a younger sister of Rubens' second wife, Helene Fourment. an Antwerp tapestry and silk merchant.The direct glance from under the shadow of the hat, the attention directed to the body, and the ring on the finger, all suggest that the painting is a marriage portrait. (The Straw Hat, was first used in the 18th century. , which is felt. with its curling feathers, is the most prominent feature of the painting, shading the face of the sitter.)

Chinese Shaanxi eight Strange Customs

Wearing the Kerchief on the Head
Shaanxi abounds in cotton, and cotton spinning and weaving have been around for quite a long time in rural areas

Singing Operas in a Roaring Voice
Shaanxi Opera is one of the main local operas in Shaanxi. It is characterized by its high-pitched and passionate tunes and strong beats.

The Bowl as Big as a Basin
Traditionally, Shaanxi people eat with a blue-and-white porcelain bowl of about 0.33m in diameter. .

Houses Built on One Side
Whether you are in the City of Xi'an or anywhere else in Shaanxi Province, you'll see houses built on one side wherever you go.

Squatting Instead of Sitting
Men in Shaanxi traditionally gather around for their three meals every day in a squatting position. The meals are called "old bowl meetings".

Hot Pepper - A Course in Its Own Right
Hot pepper is a famous product in Shaanxi and strings of red pepper are hung in front of almost every house in the City of Xi'an.

Panpakes as big as pan cover
Guokui, or "wok cake", is a kind of wok-baked cake made of wheat flour dough. It's not only the staple food of Shaanxi people, but also a good choice as a traveling food.

Noodles as Wide as a Belt
Wheat is widely grown in Shaanxi, so noodles are the most common staple food for the local people. Of all types of noodles, hand-pulled noodles are the most popular

The above eight Strange has formed the Shaanxi image of honest and loyal, also reflected the unique Shaanxi features. Shaanxi people are bold and unconstrained not only in nature but also in diet culture. The belt-like noodles, cover-like pancakes and oiled capsicums are typical demonstrations. About the house architecture, it is the great result of making best use of the sunshine. The roaring-like opera are due to the special landforms Shaanxi that knaps and dongas abound.

These are China's postcards---The picture is China's traditional crafts, "the clay sculpture"

Today

Today, I receive me the German friend Mr.Arne Baum registered mail. He exchanges for me 16 related horse's stamp collecting materials, but these are may use. Thanks him

Horse Races in Britain "Derby"

Every year, on the first Wednesday in June, one of Britain's most famous horse races is held. It's called the "Derby", and it attracts racing enthusiasts from an over of the country.
the Derby is the top event in the flat season's racing calendar. First run on 4 May 1780, the race is named after its founder, the 12th earl of Derby. It is a race for 3-year-olds, run on Epsom downs.


1979 Horseracing Paintings and Bicentenary of the Derby issue featuring 'Saddling "Mahmoud" for the Derby 1936, 'The Liverpool Great National Steeple Chase 1839', 'The First Spring Meeting, Newmarket 1793' and 'Racing at Dorsett Ferry, Windsor 1684'.

Japan's horse racing postmark

Japan's racing history is a brief one compared to the countries with which she now competes. From its beginnings in the 1860s there was little stability until the 1930s, when its equivalent to British Classics were established. After the war the importation of the Irish Derby winner Hindostan had a significant effect on the breeding industry ......

The Japan Racing Association (Japanese: 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba (中央競馬 Central horse racing) and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training facilities.
It was founded in 1954, according to the Horse Racing Law (競馬法 Keiba Hō) and the Japan Racing Association Law (日本中央競馬会法 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai Hō) and is operated under the strict oversight of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan).