Scenic Postcards and Tiger Stamps

Since the mid-1800s, postcards have been a popular way for travellers to keep in touch with their families and friends back home. Originally patented by an American man from Philadelphia named John P. Carlton, postcards are now a favorite souvenir around the world. When travelling, it is usually possible to buy postcards with scenes, cartoons, photos or sayings local to the area, making each postcard unique.

Typically, it costs less to send a postcard than a regular letter because postcards do not require an envelope and generally weigh less than a normal envelope with a letter inside. Postcards always have a photo or interesting localism on the front, while the back contains a small column for writing a short message, along with space for stamps and, usually, a description of what is depicted on the front of the card.

Postcards are a popular form of souvenir from China. At almost every tourist destination around the country, from the Great Wall to the gardens of Suzhou, you’ll find local vendors and shops that sell unique and interesting postcards with local scenes on the front. The wonderful thing about sending a postcard is that the recipient can see a visualization of what the sender experienced, with the added value that the postcard actually came from the place depicted on the front.

Sending postcards from China is extremely easy, not to mention cheap. Typically, postcards cost ?4.5 to send abroad via airmail. Most postcards sent from China arrive to international destinations in about a week and a half.

The stamps placed on postcards are often of more interest to the recipient than the actual postcard itself. Exotic stamps from around the world have always been highly collected items. In China, there are a variety of different stamps issued from year to year, including collector’s stamps. Some of the most unique Chinese stamps are those issued around Chinese New Year, which always depict that year’s Chinese zodiac animal.