Last year, I received a letter from China. It was from Khang, a student from the South China Normal University in Guang Zhou, Guang Dong province.
To the best of my knowledge, the words in red mean “The People’s Liberation Army”, which is the armed forces of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and of its founding and ruling political party, the Communist Party of China (CPC). As I have zero knowledge of mandarin, I have no idea how this letter is related to the PLA. He has scribbled over the words with a pen for some reason.
Khang had contacted me via email after going through my profile on Postcrossing. He asked me if I wanted to exchange 5 Chinese postcards for 5 Indian ones.
Now, this was my first ever unofficial swap. Of course, I was a bit worried. I didn’t know if I could trust him. So, I asked him to guide me through the process and he politely agreed to. He even agreed to send his letter first. After it reaches me, I could send mine.
I was surprised that he could so easily trust a stranger from another country. That’s when I remembered this beautiful quote:
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
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So, I decided to send my letter before I received his. I sent him 5 Indian postcards showcasing India’s cultural heritage. Sadly, I do not know if he received my letter. I sent him an email asking him if he received it. But, I didn’t get a reply from him.
I received his letter and it had 5 beautiful postcards, and a piece of paper, which read –
“Hello from China! Very thanks for swapping with me. Sorry for my bad English. These are 5 cards for you, wish you like. My email: g*******@***.com. Please let me know when you get the cards. Cheers, Khang.”
Let’s take a look at the postcards I received –
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| The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu |
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| Chinese performers doing the Lion and Dragon dance |
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| Giant Panda |
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| Kite flying at the Weifang International Kite Festival |
Chinese kites usually represent mythological characters, symbolic creatures, as well as legendary figures. Some have whistles or strings designed to make unique sounds while flying.
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| Chinese women and a donkey husking rice |
Rice milling in China, before the invention of modern machinery was carried out in local villages by muscle power using millstones or a single large stone pulled by animals.
I really cherish these postcards, not only are they beautiful, but this was also my first exchange.
The stamp was a printed one, costing just 80 Fen (0.8 Yuan).
Although it was printed, it was no less pretty than a normal one. This stamp features a flower, which seems like a rose to me (I couldn’t verify it).