My Favorite Postcards

Vietnam, Hoi An

postmarked in 2013 with two Vietnam stamps

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Hội An, also Faifo, is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quang Nam province and is home to approximately 120,000 people.

In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.

My question is this:  What is the lady in the background thinking?

Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City
Rush hour on Le Van Si Street

Photo by Doan Duc Minh

unused, from 2013

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Ho Chi Minh City, formerly named Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam.

The main means of transport within the city are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Motorbikes remain the most common way to move around the city. Taxis are plentiful and usually have trip meters, although it is also common to agree on the trip price before taking a long trip. Public buses run on many routes and fare can be purchased on the bus. For short trips, motorcycle taxis are available where the passenger sits at the rear of a motorbike. A popular activity for tourists is a tour of the city on cyclos (a rickshaw on back with a bicycle in front), which allow for longer trips at a more relaxed pace.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Peoples Committee Building

Photo by Doan Duc Minh

postmarked in 2012 with a machine stamp from the Philippines

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Ho Chi Minh City Hall or Hôtel de Ville de Saigon was built in 1902-1908 in a French colonial style for the then city of Saigon. It was renamed after 1975 as Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. The building is not opened to the public or for tourists.

Vietnam
"Peach Fruit" Island on Ha Long Bay
Mont de peke

Photo: Van Phuc

postmarked within the USA with a 'Forever' stamp

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Ha Long Bay (literally: "Descending Dragon Bay") is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam.

The bay consists of a dense cluster of over 3,000 limestone monolithic islands (although locals claim there are only 1,969). Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes cave) is the largest grotto in the Ha Long area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites.

Historical research surveys have shown the presence of prehistorical human beings in this area tens of thousands years ago. The successive ancient cultures are the Soi Nhụ culture around 18,000-7,000 BC, the Cái Bèo culture 7,000-5,000 BC and the Hạ Long culture 3,500-5,000 years ago.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, World Heritage

Dog of the Sea
gardien de la mer

postmarked in 2009 with two great Vietnam stamps

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there is a little more writing, but the stamp mark is over the words and smeared a little, even with a strong magnifying glass, I can't read it. :(





about the Viet Nam 4000 d stamp
BUU CHiNH (Vietnam Post) 2008

Dan Nguyet va Nhi (Ho day)

Dan Gguyet -
The đàn nguyệt is a two-stringed Vietnamese traditional musical instrument. It is used in both folk and classical music, and remains popular throughout Vietnam (although during the 20th century many Vietnamese musicians increasingly gravitated toward the acoustic and electric guitar).

The đàn nguyệt's strings, formerly made of twisted silk, are today generally made of nylon or fishing line. They are kept at a fairly low tension in comparison to the guitar and other European plucked instruments. This, and the instrument's raised frets, allow for the bending tones which are so important to the proper interpretation of Vietnamese traditional music. Such bending tones are produced by pressing the string toward the neck rather than bending to the side. The strings are generally plucked with a small plectrum; often a plastic guitar pick is used.