A little piece of history

I've received quite a few postcards of books recently and this looks like another.  But it's different, it's a piece of history.  It's the joint declaration on the future of Hong Kong, signed by Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of the UK, and Zhao Ziyang, Prime Minister of China.  It was signed in Beijing in 1984 before the big hand over of Hong Kong to China in 1997.

It was sent to me from the USA but it was bought in Hong Kong.

This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday hosted on Beth Niquette's blog, The Best Hearts are Crunchy.

Chinese opera performer

There are many different forms of Chinese opera, the most famous being the Beijing opera.  As this card was bought in Hong Kong although sent from Shanghai in China, I assume that it shows Cantonese opera.  It shows one of the most common style, the white and red face.

The foundation is white and the red colour from around the eyes fades down the cheeks towards the chin.  The make-up can denote certain characteristics.  The headdress too, has significance because it can denote status and age, while the hairstyle can show the character's emotions.

I'd be delighted to be able to see a Chinese opera for the make-up and costumes alone.

This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday hosted on Beth Niquette's blog, The Best Hearts are Crunchy.  Just click on the button to visit and join in.

On this first day of the Month of Letters, my first envelope is on its way to the Netherlands, containing a handmade postcard.  There won't be too many handmade cards going out - it takes me forever!

Hong Kong rickshaw

The word rickshaw comes from Japanese meaning a human powered vehicle.  There used to be thousands of them in Hong Kong in the early 20th century but no new licences have been issued since 1975 so there are very few about these days.

Hong Kong from the Peak

The Peak is Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island.  In the evening you can see what is considered to be one of the great night views in the world.

Bird garden, Hong Kong

A street stall in Hong Kong selling birds as pets.  According to the person who sent this to me, it is shut down whenever a case of avian flu is discovered, which is a "scarily frequent occurrence".

Temple Street Market, Hong Kong

Temple Street Market is one of the most famous markets in Hong Kong.  It's open from 4:00 pm until midnight but really it comes alive after dark when the lights turn it into a magical place.  The whole of the street is filled with market stalls on the pavements in front of the shops.

Angkor Wat

Sent to me from Hong Kong because it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hong Kong

As a complete contrast to my previous card from the wide open spaces of Africa, here is Hong Kong, exactly as I imagine it.

But there is so much more to Hong Kong, so much that I couldn't attempt to tell a fraction of it here.  I'll leave you with a trivial piece of information that interested me:

The name Hong Kong is an Anglicised attempt to pronounce the Chinese name which means Fragrant Harbour, possibly because of the fresh water delivered by the Pearl River, or possibly because of the incense that was stored around the harbour before export.

There is a novel, "Fragrant Harbour" by John Lanchester which covers the period just before Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1999.

Giant Buddha

Reached by 268 steps, this giant bronze statue of Buddha is also known as the Tian Tan Buddha.  Surprisingly, it was completed as recently as 1993.  It can be found on Lantau Island, the largest of Hong Kong's islands.  The island is also home to Hong Kong International airport and to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Hong Kong business district

This card is fairly clearly postmarked Hong Kong but I was surprised to see what I thought was an equally clear date of 31 November.  On closer inspection it seems to be 21 November 2009.  Or maybe even 24 November.  But it really is Hong Kong, I promise you.

It shows the business district of Hong Kong, and is exactly how I always imagine it to be.  Nevertheless I do know there are plenty of green areas which you can see on the card, but the buildings are so impressive you tend not to notice.  So I'm always surprised to hear that 70% of Hong Kong's land mass is undeveloped and made up of mountains, forests, parks, gardens and nature reserves..

PFF - Hong Kong letter boxes

Postmarked Hong Kong, dated 7 September 2009.
All that you desire for the home.

This wonderful card was sent to me by a Postcrossing member in Hong Kong.  It appears to be an ad card for a company called Goods of Desire, and it shows the kind of post boxes commonly used in some old Hong Kong buildings.  I'm not sure what is the connection with "All that you desire for the home", but I am delighted with the card which is one of my favourites.

This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday.