FDC, cover and Philatelic／enveloppe et philatélie

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

[TAIWAN]New Stamp: Alpine Lakes of Taiwan Postage Stamps (I)

Date of issue: July 17, 2014
To heighten recognition of the beauty of Taiwan’s alpine lakes and further encourage our fellow citizens to treasure natural ecological resources, Chunghwa Post has planned a series of stamps on the motif. The first set features four lakes located at a higher altitude. The designs follow:
1. Cuichi Pond (NT$5): Situated in Miaoli County, Cuichi Pond has the highest altitude - about 3,520 meters - of any lakes in Taiwan. Its lake water never runs dry at anytime of the year. Even in the dead of winter, the water does not freeze over in whole.
2. Tunlu Pond (NT$5): The lake sits in Nantou County, abutting upon Hualian County at an altitude about 2,840 meters. The lake was once the habitat of herds of deer. It brims with the infusion of surface and underground waters all year round. Oval-shaped, the lake is a proverbial mirror huddled by verdant mountain valleys.
3. Qicai Lake (NT$10): The lake is located in Hualien County at an altitude about 2,890 meters. Mountaineers were charmed by the reflection of prismatic colors as sunrise rose above the lake, thus its name. Deer herds were sighted in earlier years, the lake therefore is also known as "Luchi (Deer Pond)."
4. Jiaming Lake (NT$12): Seated in Taitung County, the lake sits on the second-highest elevation – about 3,310 meters - of any lakes in Taiwan. Jiaming Lake is reputed as "the sapphire that God left in the world of mortals" and "the Tear of an Angel."

Cover from Fürstentum Liechtenstein／enveloppe du Liechtenstein

Monday, June 23, 2014

[Taiwan]Latest Stamp Issue: Communications Construction Souvenir Sheet – Hua-tung Railway Electrification

In 2008 the Taiwan government began electrifying the Hua-tung (Hwalien-Taitung)Railway in order to raise transportation efficiency so as to speed up economic development in Eastern Taiwan. To accommodate with this project, the government also graded it from a single track to double tracks at sections where there were bottlenecks and undertook to straighten its route. The project is expected to be completed in 2014. After the completion of the electrification, the Puyuma Express trains will join the operation and bring a faster railway experience to the public.

To increase the public’s understanding of this transportation infrastructure of electrification, Chunghwa Post is releasing a souvenir sheet with three postage stamps. The designs follow:

The three stamps feature the Hualien Station (NT$5), the Kecheng Bridge section (NT$12), and the Shanli Tunnel (NT$25) set against background images on the souvenir sheet of the Puyuma Express and the straightened elevated section of the railway in Yuemei. The images of the Puyuma Express and the Taroko Express running through fields both convey a great sense of movement. Also shown are the beautiful mountainous scenery of the East Rift Valley and the new local atmosphere that will be fostered with the completion of the railway electrification project.