September 22, 2013

0812 CHINA (Jiangsu) - Zhouzhuang, the Venice of China


Located 30 km southeast of the city of Suzhou, Zhouzhuang, China's oldest water town, known as Zhenfang Lane in ancient times, is noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses and the elegant watery views. Called Yaocheng in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), it was part of the King of Wu, and in the mid of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) became a distribution center of food, silk, ceramics, arts and crafts in the south of China.

Surrounded and divided by lakes and rivers, with 14 stone bridges, the town still retains the style and pattern of its ancient village, its most famous attractions being Fu’an Bridge (the only remaining structure that made a connection between bridge and house), Twin Bridges (comprising Shide Bridge and Yongan Bridge, built between 1573 and 1619) and Shen's Hall of Residence (built in 1742). All its houses were built on the river, and the town is connected with bridges. The boat gently rocking and green shadow whirling on the bank of river. Every family has its own pier in the water town. There is a proverb in Zhouzhuang is the "sedan chair through into the front door and the boat through the home gone".

About the stamps
The first stamp is part of the series Wild Animal Protection Stamp, issued on February 25, 2000, and comprising nine stamps:
Crested Ibis / Nipponia nippon (0.30 CNY)
Giant Panda / Ailuropoda melanoleuca (0.80 CNY)
Brown Eared Pheasant / Crostopilon mantchuricum (1.00 CNY)
Chinese Sturgeon / Acipenser sinensis (1.50 CNY) - It's on the postcard 0812
Sichuan Snub-nosed Monkey / Rhinopithecus roxellana (2.00 CNY)
Chinese River Dolphin / Lipotes vexillifer (2.60 CNY)
Red-crowned Crane / Grus japonensis (2.80 CNY)
Siberian Tiger / Panthera tigris altaica (3.70 CNY)
Chinese Alligator / Alligator sinensis (5.40 CNY)

About the second stamp I know nothing.

References
Zhouzhuang - Wikipedia
Zhouzhuang - Wikitravel

Sender: Jing / GuoWenJing (postcrossing)
Sent from Qinhuangdao (Hebei / China), on 20.08.2013

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