Chinese Lion

Chinese guardian lions or Imperial guardian lions, traditionally known in Chinese simply as Shi , and often called "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in imperial China.

Statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy, from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and were believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits. They are also used in other artistic contexts, for example on door-knockers, and in pottery. Pairs of guardian lion statues are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and other structures, with one sitting on each side of the entrance, in China and in other places around the world where the Chinese people have immigrated and settled, especially in local Chinatowns.

The lions are usually depicted in pairs. When used as statuary the pair would consist of a male leaning his paw upon an embroidered ball (in imperial contexts, representing supremacy over the world ) and a female restraining a playful cub that is on its back (representing nurture)

Source: Wikipedia

Thanks to Zhou He for the swap. 

Love the fact that the stamp was made into a bigger version of a postcard :)

Sent: 6 May 2016   Received: 26 May 2016   Travelled: 20 days

Journey to Tibet: Belief culture

Thanks to Xiaohuan who resends this card which was expired.

Sent: 24 April 2016   Received: 18 May 2016   Travelled: 24 days

Lugang Mazu Temple

Excerpt on back:

Lugang Mazu Temple is one of the National Heritage. It was built

400 years ago during the transition of Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty.

Generations of worshippers come here and lie their faith and hope in Mazu,

the goddess of the sea.

Thanks to Candy (via postcrossing) for the beautiful card!

Sent: 3 April 2016   Received: 9 May 2016   Travelled: 36 days

Quju dress

From the beginning of its history, Hanfu (especially in elite circles) was inseparable from silk, supposedly discovered by the Yellow Emperor’s consort, Leizu. The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC - 1000 BC), developed the rudiments of Hanfu; it consisted of a yi, a narrow-cuffed, knee-length tunic tied with a sash, and a narrow, ankle-length skirt, called chang, worn with a bixi, a length of fabric that reached the knees. Vivid primary colors and green were used, due to the degree of technology at the time.

The dynasty to follow the Shang, the Western Zhou Dynasty, established a strict hierarchical society that used clothing as a status meridian, and inevitably, the height of one’s rank influenced the ornateness of a costume. Such markers included the length of a skirt, the wideness of a sleeve and the degree of ornamentation. In addition to these class-oriented developments, the Hanfu became looser, with the introduction of wide sleeves and jade decorations hung from the sash which served to keep the yi closed. The yi was essentially wrapped over, in a style known as jiaoling youren, or wrapping the right side over before the left, because of the initially greater challenge to the right-handed wearer (people of Zhongyuan discouraged left-handedness like many other historical cultures, considering it unnatural, barbarian, uncivilized and unfortunate).
Source: Wikipedia

Thanks to Rita for sending this birthday card which arrived last year

when I was away travelling. She knows I love cards which shows

the Chinese culture :) 

Sent: 10 November 2015   Received: 1 December 2015   Travelled: 21 days

Gulangyu Island, Xiamen

Hand delivered by Anya,

I was told that Xiamen is the inspiration to the

animated film "Spirited Away", I love the beautiful

cultural depiction in the film , another place to add to my

China bucket list! Thank you Anya!