FDC from Vietnam／FDC du Vietnam

Vietnam - Argentina joint stamp issue／
Timbre Emission commune Argentine Vietnam





＂On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Argentine-Vietnamese diplomatic relations, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) specially issues the stampset: “Vietnam - Argentine Joint stamp issue” on the 25th of October 2008 at Hanoi consisting of 02 values with their denominations of 800d and 10,000d.

The stampset depicts the typical species of beautiful flowers in two countries: Lotus in Vietnam and Floss Silk Tree in Argentine issuing

- Value (2-1), denomination of 800d: Floss Silk Tree

Considered one of the most beautiful trees in the world, the Floss Silk Tree is a species of deciduous tropical plant from Argentina and Brazil. It is resistant to drought and moderate cold. It grows fast in spurts when water is abundant, and sometimes reaches more than 25m in height. Silk Floss blooms in early Fall with abandon. The older the tree, the better the flower display. And with individual trees grown from seed there are variations in the flower colors; more pink, more rose, etc. The fruits are ligneous ovoid pods, 20 cm long, which contain bean-sized black seeds surrounded by a mass of fibrous, fluffy matter reminiscent of cotton or silk.

Silk Floss Tree is cultivated as a flowering specimen tree. The seedpod silk has been used to stuff cushions.

- Value (2-2), denomination of 10,000d: Lotus

This is the typical Lotus flower in West Lake of Hanoi - Vietnam. Lotus flowers in West Lake are unique for both their color and fragrance; they are lighter pink and sweeter in fragrance.

In Viet Nam, Lotus is assigned to the set of four seasons "Tø QuÝ": Orchids, Lotus, Daisies, Apricot blossoms and is also the symbol of Summer. Lotus tree has a lot of use. The department lotus flowers are processed food featuring flavor tastes of Viet Nam such as lotus rootstock salad, sugar coats lotus seeds, lotus compote, lotus tea... Lotus tea is a common drink in Vietnam. Lotus tea made from West Lake's lotus flowers is well known with its own unique flavor.

This beautiful flower is a symbol of the refined and unyielding spirit of the Vietnamese people.＂-Vietnam stamp

Postcrossing ( IV)

FDC from Malaysia／FDC de la Malaisie

Unique Flowers／Fleurs uniques



＂
Kenerak (Goniothalamus tapis) - 30 sen

Kenerak is a shrub or small tree up to 3 metres high with ascending branches and short twigs forming conical or uneven crown. Leaves are oblong in shape, widest near apex and bluntly tipped, 12 to 24 cm long, 6 to 11 cm wide, dull yellow green. Flowers grow solitary on leaf twigs hanging from short stalks. Calyx is green in colour, and outer petals are cream white or pale yellowish and very fragrant. The fruits are ellipsoid, 1.2cm long, red in colour and turn purplish black as it ripens.

Kenerak is often planted in Malay villages, especially in Kelantan and Terengganu. The flowers are often sold in the markets.

Climbing Lily (Gloriosa superba) - 30 sen

This plant is a species of lily that climbs up to 2.5 metres in height, aided by tendril-like tips at its narrow lance-shaped leaves. The flowers are attractive and unique with narrow yellow and red curly edged petals. When it blooms, the flower turns inside out and points upwards with the stamens and pistil more or less horizontal. The plant has underground bulb which is poisonous.

The plant is cultivated in Malaysian gardens for its unique and attractive flowers. Malays call it Bunga Kembang Songsang because when the flowers are fully bloomed the petals are inverted.

Rangoon Creeper (Quisqualis indica) - 50 sen

Rangoon Creeper is a climbing shrub and planted as ornamental plant because of its unique flowers. It can also be found growing wild, escaped from cultivation. The flowers are very attractive and borne in short clusters. the flower tube is 5 cm long and the petals are white but turn red when matured. The flower blooms at bight and very fragrant.

The plant is often planted as climber on fences, on specially prepared pergola or left to climb on big trees.

Banana Shrub (Michelia figo) - 50 sen

The shrub is about 1 to 2 metres high, branched to form bush-shaped canopy. The leaves are elliptical in shape, 5 to 10 cm long, 2 to 6 cm wide with short petiole and dark green in colour. The flowers are about 3 to 4 cm in diameter when fully opened, the bracts are brownish and hairy and the petals are yellowish white with slightly purplish base. The flowers are fragrant reminiscent of banana. In Malaysia the plants seldom bear fruits.

The Chinese community use the flowers to fragrant tea and the Malays use the flowers in aromatic bath and potpourri.＂－http://www.filatelic.com/

FDC from Philippines／FDC des Philippines

Philippine Wild Ducks／Canards sauvages philippins



The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks, is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas of North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand (where it is currently the most common duck species), and Australia. It is strongly migratory in the northern parts of its breeding range, and winters farther south. For example, in North America it winters south to Mexico, but also regularly strays into Central America and the Caribbean between September and May.

The Green-winged Teal (GWT, Anas carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Common Teal for some time, and the issue is still being reviewed by the American Ornithologists' Union [1]; based on this the IUCN and BirdLife International (BirdLife International, 2004) do not accept it as a separate species at present. However, nearly all other authorities consider it distinct nowadays, based on behavioral (Laurie-Ahlberg & McKinney 1979), morphological (Livezey, 1991), and molecular (Johnson & Sorenson 1999) evidence (discussed by Sangster et al., 2002).

The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.
The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name. The adult female is brown with paler flanks, and is more easily confused with other diving ducks. In particular, some have white around the bill base which resembles the scaup species, although the white is never as extensive as in those ducks.
The only duck which is at all similar is the drake North American Ring-necked Duck, which however has a different head shape, no tuft and greyish flanks.
The Tufted Duck is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

The Cotton Pygmy Goose or the Cotton Teal,[2] Nettapus coromandelianus is a small perching duck which breeds in India, Pakistan, southeast Asia and south to northern Australia. It is locally known as Girri, Girria, Girja (Hindi); Gurgura (Etawah); Bali hans (Bengal); Bhullia hans (Bangladesh); Dandana (Orissa); Ade, Atla (Ratnagiri); Naher, Keeke, Chuwa (Nowgong, Assam); Baher, Kararhi (Sind, Pakistan).

Le Canard colvert (Anas platyrhynchos)[1] est un oiseau de l'ordre des ansériformes, de la famille des anatidés et de la sous-famille des anatinés. C'est certainement le plus connu et reconnaissable de tous les canards, du fait de l'existence de races de canards domestiques issues de cette espèce.

La sarcelle à ailes vertes (Anas carolinensis ou Anas crecca caroliensis) est un canard de la famille des Anatidae largement répandu dans toute l'Amérique du Nord en dehors des îles Aléoutiennes. Cette espèce est, selon les auteurs, une espèce proche ou une sous-espèce de la sarcelle d'hiver.

Le fuligule morillon (Aythya fuligula) est un canard plongeur de la famille des Anatidés.
C'est un canard de 40 à 47 cm de long avec une envergure de 67 à 72 cm, pesant entre 550 et 900 g, donc un peu plus petit qu'un fuligule milouin par exemple.
Le mâle a un plumage noir brillant et des flancs blancs, ainsi qu'une fine huppe noire de 5 cm et retombante. La femelle est uniformément brune avec une huppe plus courte. En vol, on les reconnaît grâce à une barre alaire blanche.

L'Anserelle de Coromandel (Nettapus coromandelianus) est un oiseau palmipède appartenant à la famille des anatidae.

FDC from Algeria／FDC de L'Algérie

Parks and Gardens of ALGERIA／
PARCS ET JARDINS D’ALGERIE



Garden Ibn Badis (Oran):
The oldest garden of Oran is without question the walk of Létang or the hanging garden, baptized today name of Ibn Badis. This last was created in 1836 by the General De Létang who transformed the glacis Castle-Nine into a walk which bears its name.
On this platform of six hectares, with the site of the glacis northern and west of new castle, thousand trees in half-circle were planted.
This fairy-like place continuous to attract the walkers by his maritime charm and his freshness, its long palm trees, its plane trees three meters in diameter, its oaks of more than thirty meters height, its pines, its caroubiers centenaries and other eucalypti.
One finds there thickets green, bushes, flowers, jasmines, chèvrefeuilles, ivies climbing, papering the walls of the castle, of the fountains.
The garden Ibn Badis consists of alleys staged with giant dragonniers and ficus.

Jardin Ibn Badis (Oran) :
Le plus vieux jardin d’Oran est sans conteste la promenade de Létang ou le jardin suspendu, baptisé aujourd’hui du nom d’Ibn Badis. Ce dernier a été créé en 1836 par le Général De Létang qui transforma les glacis du Château-Neuf en une promenade qui porte son nom.
Sur cette plate-forme de six hectares, à l’emplacement des glacis nord et ouest de château neuf, furent plantés mille arbres en demi-cercle.
Ce lieu féerique continue d’attirer les promeneurs par son charme et sa fraîcheur maritimes, ses longs palmiers, ses platanes de trois mètres de diamètre, ses chênes de plus de trente mètres de hauteur, ses pins, ses caroubiers centenaires et autres eucalyptus.
On y trouve des bosquets verdoyants, des buissons, des fleurs, des jasmins, des chèvrefeuilles, des lierres grimpants, tapissant les murs du château, des fontaines.
Le jardin Ibn Badis est constitué d’allées étagées avec des dragonniers et ficus géants.

FDC from Japan／FDC du Japon

The World Heritage-Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine／
Patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO-Iwami Ginzan



＂The Iwami Ginzan (石見銀山, Iwami Ginzan) was a silver mine in the city of Ōda, Shimane Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan. It was added to the World Heritage List in 2007.
It was developed in 1526 by Kamiya Jutei a Japanese merchant. It reached its peak production in the early 17th century of approximately 38 tons of silver a year which was then a third of world production.
Silver from the mine was used widely for coins. It was contested fiercely by warlords until the Tokugawa Shogunate won control of it in 1600 as a result of the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. It was later secured by fences and barricaded by pine trees. Yamabuki Castle was built in the centre of the complex.
Silver production from the mine fell in the nineteenth century as it had trouble competing with mines elsewhere and it was eventually closed.＂
-wiki

＂Iwami Ginzan est le site d'une ancienne mine d'argent dans le préfecture de Shimane au Japon. Elle a été inscrite au patrimoine mondial de l'humanité en 2007 sous le nom de « Mine d’argent de Iwami Ginzan et son paysage culturel ». Le site a une superficie de 442 ha et une zone tampon de 3 221 ha.＂
-wiki

FDC from Belgium／FDC de Belgique

Museum of the shoe in Izegem／
Musée de la chaussure à Izegem

FDC from Vietnam／FDC du Vietnam

Joint Stamps issue between Vietnam - France／
Timbre Emission commune France Vietnam



＂On the 15th of October 2008, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) issues the stampset: “Joint Stamps issue between Vietnam - France” consisting of 02 values with their denominations of 800d and 14,000d.

It is the first stampset to have been jointly issued by Vietnam and France. The stampset depicts the sceneries of Ha Long bay (in Vietnam) and Bouches de Bonifacio (in France).

- Value (2-1), denomination of 800d: Bouches de Bonifacio in France

Bonifacio is a commune at the southern tip of the island of Corsica, in theCorse-du-Sud department, SartÌne district (arrondissement), Bonifacio total (canton). Bouches de Bonifacio is located on the Mediterranean Sea with the roughly limestone and coastal further into cliffs. This is an attraction famous of France.

- Value (2-2), denomination of 14,000d : Ha Long bay in Vietnam

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. Ha Long bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands with rich vegetation cover and many beautiful caves. This is not only one of the attractions famous in the world but also be introduced to nominate as World's 7 Natural Wonder.＂-Vietnam stamp

FDC from Montenegro／FDC du Monténégro

FDC from Chile／FDC du Chili