2844 CHINA (Anhui) - Mount Huangshan (UNESCO WHS)

Located in the humid subtropical monsoon climate zone of Anhui province, Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is renowned for its magnificent natural scenery which includes massive granitic boulders and ancient pine trees which are often enhanced by cloud and mist effects.  This dramatic landscape includes formations of natural stone pillars, grotesquely-shaped rocks, waterfalls, caves, lakes and hot springs, formed by its complex geological history.

0876 CHINA (Anhui) - Watching a performance

Because the man on the postcard 730 is from Anhui Province, and this postcard refers also to Water Regions, I suppose that these elders are from the same region. After their facial expressions, very interesting and well captured, and after the way that are seated, these people certainly watch to a performance, in which they involve wholeheartedly. Obvious, the reactions are different, and I can't help noticing the major differences between expressions. Unlike the faces of those in the background, expressing surprise, if not even fear, the one of the man in foreground, much more retained, reveals skepticism, disapproval, and even a spark of condescension. In fact the whole outfit of this man is more reserved and groomed, denoting a different character, and probably a superior intelligence or an education different from of the others people from the picture.

0823 CHINA (Anhui) - Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun (UNESCO WHS)

The traditional non-urban settlements of China, large extent disappeared during the 20th century, are well preserved in the villages of Xidi and Hongcun, illustrations of a type of feudal settlement based on a prosperous trading economy. First built during the Huangyou era (1049-1053) of Song Dynasty Emperor Renzong, the village Xidi was originally called Xichuan (West River). The rise of the village was closely tied to the fortunes of the Hu family. By 1465, during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), family members had started in business as merchants, leading to construction of major private buildings and a public infrastructure. By the middle of the 17th century, the influence wielded by members of the Hu family expanded from commerce into politics, Xidi peaking the maximum of prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries, at which time the village comprised about 600 residences.