Abhishek's PostCrossing Journey

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Hōryū-ji Temple in Spring, Japan

Japan-18, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji , or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, named as such because the site serves as a seminary as well as a monastery. The temple is widely acknowledged to have one of the oldest wooden buildings existing in the world, and is one of the most celebrated temples in Japan. In 1993, Hōryū-ji was inscribed together with Hokki-ji as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area. The Japanese government lists several of its structures, sculptures and artifacts as National Treasures.

Sunset view from the top of the Jade Emperor, China

China-56, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong Province, China. The tallest peak is Jade Emperor Peak, which is commonly reported as 1545 metres (5069 ft) tall, but is described by the Chinese government as 1532.7 metres (5028.5 ft).
Mount Tai is one of the "Five Sacred Mountains". It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. The temples on its slopes have been a destination for pilgrims for 3,000 years.

Belin Monuments, Germany

Germany-38, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Beautiful calendar card from Berlin

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia_and_Herzegovina-3, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, across the Drina River in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, was completed in 1577 AD by the Ottoman court architect Sinan on the order of the Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović. It is characteristic of the apogee of Ottoman monumental architecture and civil engineering.

Euphrasian Basilica, Croatia

Croatia-5, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

The Euphrasian Basilica is a basilica in Poreč, Croatia. The episcopal complex, including, apart the basilica itself, a sacristy, a baptistery and the bell tower of the nearby archbishop's palace, is one of the best examples of early Byzantine art in the Mediterranean region. Because of its exceptional value, it has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.

Diocletian's Palace, Croatia

Croatia-6, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Diocletian's Palace is a building in Split, Croatia that was built by the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD.
Diocletian built the massive palace in preparation for his retirement on 1 May 305 AD. It lies in a bay on the south side of a short peninsula running out from the Dalmatian coast, four miles from Salona, the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia.

After the Romans abandoned the site, the Palace remained empty for several centuries. In the 7th century nearby residents fled to the walled palace to escape invading barbarians. Since then the palace has been occupied, with residents making their homes and businesses within the palace basement and directly in its walls. Today many restaurants and shops, and some homes, can still be found within the walls.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Surtsey, Iceland

Iceland-1, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Surtsey is a volcanic island off the southern coast of Icelandit is also the southernmost point of Iceland.t was formed in a volcanic eruption which began 130 metres (426 ft) below sea level, and reached the surface on 14 November 1963. The eruption lasted until 5 June 1967, when the island reached its maximum size of 2.7 km2 (1.0 sq mi).
The undersea vents that produced Surtsey are part of the Vestmannaeyjar (Westmann Isles) submarine volcanic system, part of the fissure of the sea floor called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Vestmannaeyjar also produced the famous eruption of Eldfell on the island of Heimaey in 1973. The eruption that created Surtsey also created a few other small islands along this volcanic chain, such as Jólnir and other, unnamed peaks. Most of these eroded away fairly quickly

Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Thailand-7, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Khao Yai National Park is a national park in Thailand. Khao Yai National Park is situated in the Sankambeng Mountain Range, the southern prolongation of the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains, at the southwestern boundary of the Khorat Plateau.
This park lies largely in Nakhon Ratchasima Province (Khorat), but also includes parts of Saraburi, Prachinburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces.
The park is the second largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers, including evergreen forests and grasslands. Its altitude mostly ranges from 400 to 1000 m above sea level. There are 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds like red junglefowl and green peafowl and 67 species of mammals, including Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, gaur, tigers, gibbons, Indian sambar deer, crab-eating macaque, Indian muntjac, dholes, and wild pigs. Its waterfalls include the 80 metre Heo Narok, and Haeo Suwat made famous from the film The Beach. Namtok Sarika is popular with the Thais.
In 1984 the park was made an ASEAN Heritage Park, and on July 14 2005 the park together with other parks in the Dong Phaya Yen mountains was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest Complex.

Circular card, Poland

Poland-17, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Hội An, Vietnam

Vietnam-6, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Hội An is a small city on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam.
The city possessed the largest harbour in Southeast Asia in the 1st century and was known as Lâm Ấp Phố (Champa City). Between the seventh and 10th centuries, the Champas controlled the strategic “spice trade” and with this came tremendous wealth. The boats still used today in Hội An probably have the same hull shape as those used by the Champas for ocean voyages.
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.