Hopewell Centre Postcard

The postcard shows the skyscraper Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The 64-storey building, named after property firm Hopewell Holdings Limited which constructed the building, is 216 metres (709 feet) tall. It is the first circular skyscraper in Hong Kong.

Hopewell Centre Postcard

Upon its completion in 1980, Hopewell Centre surpassed Jardine House as Hong Kong's tallest building. It was also the second tallest building in Asia at the time. It kept its title in Hong Kong until 1989, when the Bank of China Tower was completed.

SOURCE:
Hopewell Centre, Hong Kong Wikipedia Entry

Empire State Building Postcard

The postcard shows the Empire State Building in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. The postcard also shows the 86th-floor and 102nd-floor observation decks that offer 360-degree views of the city, pinnacle and floodlights. The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper and its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York.

Empire State Building Postcard

(PH Wish from Erin O'Brien of NJ)

The Empire State Building rises to 1,250 ft at the 103rd floor, and including the 203 ft pinnacle, its full height reaches 1,453 ft–89⁄16 in. The Empire State Building stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years (1931-1972). The building is the 2nd tallest skyscraper in the Americas, 4th tallest freestanding structure in the Americas and the 11th tallest in the world. The Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in New York City and New York State following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001.

SOURCE:
Empire State Building Wikipedia Entry

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

This multi-view postcard shows The Mansion buildings (the elegantly-designed main building and guest house) and the main gate. Inside The Mansion is a mini-museum housing memorabilia and works of art collected over its years of occupancy by the former presidents.

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

This is another postcard that shows The Mansion and its gate, and the Wright Park. You can see throngs of tourists wanting to take a photo of themselves standing in front of the gate.

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

The postcard shows not only The Mansion and its gate but also the "Pool of Pines" or better known as Wright Park. The park features a 100-meter shallow, elongated, rectangular man-made pool of water lined on both sides by pine trees.

Wright Park was named after the architect, Governor Luke E. Wright (who ordered architect Daniel Burnham to build Baguio as a recreational facility for American soldiers and civilians).

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

SOURCES:
Wright Park
Baguio City Wikipedia Entry

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

The postcard shows the famous gate of The Mansion in Baguio City. The elaborate main gate, made of ornate ironwork, is said to be a replica of one of the main gates at Buckingham Palace in London. I have seen the Buckingham Palace front gate, but it does not look like The Mansion gate.

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

SOURCE:
Mansion House, Baguio City Wikipedia Entry

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

The postcard shows The Mansion in Baguio city. The Mansion is the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines. The Mansion was built in 1908 as the official summer residence for the US Governors-Generals who were the American administrators for the Philippines. The name is derived from the summer cottage in New England of Governor-General William Cameron Forbes during whose administration the original Mansion House was built.

The Mansion, Baguio City Postcard

It was badly damaged during the Second World War and was rebuilt and improved in 1947. Since then, it has served as the holiday home and working office for each President of the Philippines during his or her visits to Baguio.

SOURCE:
Mansion House, Baguio City Wikipedia Entry

Malacañang Palace Postcard

The postcard shows Malacañang Palace as seen from the Pasig River. Malacañang Palace, located along the north bank of the Pasig River in Manila, is the official residence of the President of the Philippines.

Malacañang Palace Postcard

The palace was originally a summer home built in 1802 by Spanish aristocrat Don Luis Rocha, which was then subsequently purchased by an official and then purchased by the state. When the Philippines came under American rule following the Spanish-American War, Malacañang Palace became the residence of the American Governor-General.

TRIVIA:
* Malacañang Palace is depicted on the verso (back) side of the present-day 20-peso bill.
* The former San Miguel Brewery Building was demolished upon expansion of the palace, overseen by the then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

RELATED ENTRY:
UPDATE: San Miguel Brewery Postcard

SOURCE:
Malacañang Palace Wikipedia Entry

Buckingham Palace Postcard

The postcard shows an aerial view of the Buckingham Palace and palace grounds. I had the chance to visit the palace during my UK visit in 2004, and both the facade and the interiors are really, really grand and magnificent. Really fit for a king/queen.

Buckingham Palace, located in the City of Westminster, is the official London residence and the administrative headquarters of the British Monarch. Buckingham Palace became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

Buckingham Palace Postcard

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high.

SOURCES:
Buckingham Palace Wikipedia Entry
The Royal Residences: Buckingham Palace

Manila Central Post Office Postcard

The postcard shows the Manila Central Post Office and the Liwasang Bonifacio plaza (now known as Plaza Lawton). Manila Central Post Office, located in the Intramuros district of Manila, at the bank of the Pasig River, is the central post office of the city of Manila and the headquarters of the Philippine Postal Corporation.

The post office building was designed by Filipino architect Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano and built in neoclassical architecture in 1926. It was severely damaged in World War II, and rebuilt in 1946 preserving most of its original design.

Manila Central Post Office Postcard

Daniel Burnham's proposal of the Post Office Building at its current location was due to two reasons: (1) the Pasig River provides an easy means of transporting mails, and (2) lying at the south end of the Taft Avenue axis, it is accessible on all sides, i.e., from the direction of Quiapo, Binondo, Malate and Ermita.

This impressive Graeco-Roman building was designed by Juan Arellano. Built in 1926 in the amount of one million pesos, it was considered as Arellano's magnum opus. A stately-looking building, its design is a perfect example of classic planning employing axial asymmetry and the classical Ionic order including the mouldings and ornaments.

SOURCES:
Manila Central Post Office Wikipedia Entry

The Imperial Tapestry: American Colonial Architecture in the Philippinesby Norma I. Alarcon, Fuap, page 141

Denver Public Library Postcard

The postcard shows the Denver Public Library from Voorhees Pool Civic Center. In 1910 the Denver Public Library acquired the Central Library, a Greek revival design funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The library stands on the northwest part of the Civic Center.

Denver Public Library Postcard

^[update]In 1956 a new library structure located on Broadway and 14th Streets was built by the firm of Fisher and Fisher/Burnham Hoyt. In 1990 75% of Denver voters approved a $91.6 million bond issue to add on to the Fisher and Fisher/Burnham Hoyt building. The 540,000-square-foot structure, adjacent to the Denver Art Museum, was designed by architect Michael Graves and the Denver firm of Klipp Colussy Jenks DuBois.As of 2004, the library had 2,519,977 items in its collection.

SOURCE:
Denver Public Library Online

New York Hospital Postcard

The postcard shows the New York Hospital, Cornell Medical College Association Buildings in New York City.

New York Hospital Postcard

The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center was founded in 1898, and has been affiliated with what is now NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital since 1927. In 1998, Weill Cornell Medical College was renamed as Weill Medical College of Cornell University after receiving a substantial endowment from Sanford I. Weill, then Chairman of Citigroup. The Medical College is divided into 20 academic departments

SOURCES:

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Wikipedia Entry

Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University Wikipedia Entry

Philippine Military Academy Postcard

This postcard again shows the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadets in their rayadillo (or is it the the US Military Academy-inspired dress uniform?) in front of, I believe Melchor Hall.

Philippine Military Academy Postcard

The Philippine Military Academy is a 373-hectare compound in Loakan. The Fort was named after the young hero of the battle of Tirad Pass, Gen. Gregorio Del Pilar.

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Philippine Military Academy Postcards

Philippine Military Academy Postcard

This is another multi-view postcard of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). The images on the upper part of the postcard, from left to right, are the monument of a large shako and the PMA Cadets; lower part are the St. Ignatius Chapel and the amphitheater.

Philippine Military Academy Postcard

The PMA cadets use the shako, a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually adorned with some kind of ornamental plate or badge on the front, metallic or otherwise, and often has a feather, plume, or pompon attached at the top. Aside from the shako, cadets also wear rayadillo material in their dress uniform. Rayadillo was also used by the Revolutionary Army of the First Philippine Republic under Emilio Aguinaldo.

St. Ignatius Chapel was built in 1959 for the cadets of the Philippine Military Academy. The chapel used to be a hill, explaining why it is composed of twenty five steps.

Unfortunately, I could not find any information about the amphitheater, its construction or history.

RELATED ENTRY:
Philippine Military Academy Postcards

SOURCES:
Shako Wikipedia Entry
Rayadillo Wikipedia Entry
Philippine Military Academy

Philippine Military Academy Postcard

This is a multi-view postcard of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City. The PMA site is now referred to as Fort Del Pilar.

The images on the upper part of the postcard, from left to right, are the entrance of PMA and the Melchor Hall; lower part are the Relics Point and Groove '55.

Philippine Military Academy Postcard

I was only able to find information about Melchor Hall. No information about Relics Point (showing tanks, etc.) and the Groove '55 can be found online.

The Melchor Hall was named in honor of Alejandro Melchor, a Filipino civil engineer, mathematician, educator, and member of the Cabinet of the Philippines who was known for his work on pontoon bridges during the Second World War.

RELATED ENTRY:
Philippine Military Academy Postcards

SOURCE:
Alejandro Melchor Wikipedia Entry

Makati Shangri-La Postcard

This is a Makati Shangri-La postcard, regular-sized one. It shows the main entrance of the hotel. Makati Shangri-La, Manila is the largest Shangri-La hotel in terms of room number with 699 guest rooms and suites.

Makati Shangri-La Postcard

RELATED ENTRY:Makati Shangri-La Postcard

SOURCE:
Makati Shangri-La, Manila Wikipedia Entry

Cebu Taoist Temple Postcard

Here is a Cebu Taoist Temple postcard. The entrance to the Cebu Taoist Temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China. The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well. There is also a giant dragon statue in the grounds of the temple. The spacious balconies offer a scenic view of the downtown Cebu.

Cebu Taoist Temple Postcard

RELATED ENTRY:
Cebu Taoist Temple Postcards

SOURCE:
Cebu Taoist Temple Wikipedia Entry

Ma-Cho Temple Postcard

Here is a regular-sized postcard of the Ma-Cho Temple. The 1-hectare Ma-cho temple has an eight-inch wooden image of Ma Cho, a Chinese deity, which has has a counterpart in the Roman Catholic faith known as the “Virgin of Caysasay” who is enshrined at the Basilica of Saint Martin in Taal, Batangas. The Ma cho image is adorned with traditional Chinese head dress and richly colored robe. Ma Cho’s oriental eyes are closed while her hands are clasped together at her chest.

Ma-Cho Temple Postcard

Also housed in the sacred temple is Tho Ti Kong or God on Earth. In another garden stands the statue of yet another important Chinese diety, Kuan Yi Ma or God of Mercy.

SOURCES:
Ma Cho Temple
San Fernando Cultural & Historical Sites: Ma-Cho Temple

Ma-Cho Temple Postcard

This over-sized and multi-view postcard shows the Ma-cho Temple in San Fernando, La Union. Ma-cho Temple is a Taoist Temple located on a hill 70 feet above sea level in San Fernando City. Construction of the temple, designed by Architect Diokno, started on September 11, 1975. The temple is believed to be the only one built with five gates. The temple is also famous for its towering arch that gives a romantic view of the China Sea. The temple is adorned with carved stone statues of the “Chinese 18 Saints” in different posses at the entrance wall.

Ma-Cho Temple Postcard

SOURCES:
Ma Cho Temple
San Fernando Cultural & Historical Sites: Ma-Cho Temple

Antipolo Church Postcard

The postcard shows the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage or better know as Antipolo Church. A multi-view postcard that shows the facade of the church, and altar, nave and several saints inside the church.

Antipolo Church Postcard

Antipolo Church in Antipolo, Rizal was first administered by the Jesuits from 1591 to 1768. The church was built by Rev. Juan de Salazar. The church was greatly damaged during the Chinese uprising of 1639 and from the earthquakes of 1645, 1824 and 1863. It was declared as a national shrine in 1954.

RELATED ENTRY:
National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Postcards

Molo Church, Iloilo City Postcard

The postcard shows the Church of St. Anne or the Molo Church in the Molo District of Iloilo City. It is actually a multi-view postcard that shows the facade and nave of the church. The church is dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Molo Church Postcard

The church architecture is Gothic, but some sources online say Gothic-Renaissance. Its two belfries had around 30 bells of different sizes, ranging from small hand bells to big campaniles. Molo Church was constructed in 1831 under Fray Pablo Montaño, and further expanded and finished by Fray Agapito Buenaflor in 1888 under the supervision of Don Jose Manuel Locsin.

The church, also called Women's Church, has larger than life images of female saints lined in two rows (eight on each side) inside the church, each standing on a pedestal attached to a massive stone pillar and under the Gothic style canopy. These saints are Sta. Marcela, Apolonia, Genoveva, Isabel, Felicia, Ines, Monica, Magdalena, Juliana, Lucia, Rosa de Lima, Teresa, Clara, Cecilia, Margarita and Marta.

SOURCE:
Molo Church: Her Story, The News Today Article

Miag-ao Church, Iloilo Postcard

Here is another addition to my UNESCO postcard collection, a Mia-gao Church postcard. The Miag-ao Church is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Baroque Churches of the Philippines." The Miagao Church is a typical single-nave Spanish colonial mission church, but it has a unique facade where you can see the blending of Spanish and native influences. The facade features a relief sculpture of St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child amidst coconut, papaya, and guava trees. A large stone image of St. Thomas de Villanova, the town's patron saint, dominates the center. Life-sized statues of the Pope and St. Henry, with their coats-of-arms above them, flank the main entrance.

Miag-ao Church Postcard

Flanking the church facade are two squat bell towers of uneven configurations. They served as observation posts during Muslim raids. (The church was built on the highest elevation of the town.) The left tower has four tiers plus a low-pitched dome, while the right tower has only three tiers. However, it compensated for the 23.6 meters height of the left tower with its steeply conical roof.

RELATED ENTRY:
Miag-ao Church, Iloilo Postcards

SOURCE:
The Miagao Church: Historical Landmark
by National Historical Institute
pp. 17, 24

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

Here is another Banaue Rice Terraces postcard. For those who are not aware the back of the 1,000 piso (Philippine peso) banknote features the famous Banaue Rice Terraces.


Unfortunately, the Banaue Rice Terraces have also been in-scripted to the List of World Heritage in Danger on 2001 as the dangers of deforestation and climate change threatens to destroy the terraces.

RELATED ENTRY:
Banaue Rice Terraces Postcards

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

Another Banaue Rice Terraces postcard in my collection.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE:

The rice terraces is of world significance archeologically, ecologically, engineering and architecturally, and socially. It is the only Philippine monument constructed without foreign intervention. In terms of engineering, it is an ingenious system of hydraulics designed to provide and distribute water equitably from upper to lower terraces. Architecturally, the houses of the Ifugao terraces reflect the shape, condition and materials of the mountain. Socially, terraces as cultural landscape, distinctly exhibits the intricate relation of man to his environment in terms of myths, rituals, traditions and life ways.

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

In Asia, the Philippine terraces is distinctive because they are situated with sloped of up to 70 percent. Archeologically, the rice terraces are dated at 1000 B.C., establishing an early complex farming and irrigation system in the mountains. Ecologically, it is environment-friendly, manifested in the use of upland rice varieties, the contouring of mountainsides, waterways and protected forests.

RELATED ENTRY:
Banaue Rice Terraces Postcards

SOURCE:
Pamanaraan: Writings on Philippine Heritage Management
By Eric Babar Zerrudo
Chapter 7: Ifugao Rice Terraces, pp. 159-160

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

Here is another Banaue Rice Terraces postcard. The terraces is spread over most of the 20,000 square kilometer land area. The terraces is also an ingenious system of hydraulics and local engineering. Water irrigation and system has been designed to provide adjacent terraces with enough water from the upper to the lower terraces. This was done through a series ad creative use of dams, canals, pipes and stones.

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

RELATED ENTRY:
Banaue Rice Terraces Postcards

SOURCE:
Pamanaraan: Writings on Philippine Heritage Management
By Eric Babar Zerrudo
Chapter 7: Ifugao Rice Terraces, p 158

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

This is another Banaue Rice Terraces postcard. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eighth Wonder of the World," and is the only monument in the country that was constructed without any influence of foreign intervention. All tilling and maintenance of the terraces must be done manually.

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

There are also other similar rice terraces in Asia, like those in Vietnam and China, but the Philippine terraces are situated at much higher altitudes. The slopes terraces in the Cordillera are at approximately 70 degrees maximum of Bali. The terraces are situated at altitudes varying from 700 to 1500 meters above sea level. Also the entire extent of the Philippine terraces is still in active agricultural use today, unlike those in other countries that have been abandoned.

RELATED ENTRY:
Banaue Rice Terraces Postcards

SOURCES:
Banaue Rice Terraces Wikipedia Entry

Pamanaraan: Writings on Philippine Heritage Management
By Eric Babar Zerrudo
Chapter 7: Ifugao Rice Terraces, p. 155

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

The postcard shows the Banaue Rice Terraces or the Ifugao Rice Terraces which epitomize the absolute blending of the physical, socio-cultural, economic, religious, and political environment. Indeed, it is a living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty.

Banaue Rice Terraces Postcard

UNESCO World Heritage Statement of Significance:

Criterion (iii): The rice terraces are a dramatic testimony to a community’s sustainable and primarily communal system of rice production, based on harvesting water from the forest clad mountain tops and creating stone terraces and ponds, a system that has survived for two millennia.

Criterion (iv): The rice terraces are a memorial to the history and labour of more than a thousand generations of small-scale farmers who, working together as a community, have created a landscape based on a delicate and sustainable use of natural resources.

Criterion (v): The rice terraces are an outstanding example of land-use resulting from a harmonious interaction between people and their environment which has produced a steep terraced landscape of great aesthetic beauty, now vulnerable to social and economic changes.

RELATED ENTRY:Banaue Rice Terraces Postcards

SOURCE:
UNESCO World Heritage: Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

Painting Postcard

The postcard shows another painting by Lourdes Oben Santos. The painting in the postcard is entitled St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Companion Martyrs. The back of the postcard mentions some information about the painting, but not if it's in a private collection or museum:

1981
Oil on canvas

St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Companion Martyrs Postcard

The postcard shows the kneeling Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, Dominican Catholic priests and Japanese Catholics. At the top left part of the painting is the tsurushi.

Lorenzo Ruiz, who was falsely accused of killing a Spaniard, sought asylum on board a ship that left for Japan. The boat landed at Okinawa and the group was arrest and persecuted because of their Christian religion, and were brought to Nagasaki. On September 27, 1637, Ruiz and his companions were taken to the "Mountain of Martyrs", where they were hung upside down into a pit known as horca y hoya, or tsurushi (hence it can be seen on the postcard). Two days after, Ruiz died from hemorrhage and suffocation. His body was cremated and his ashes were thrown into the sea.

Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified in Manila on February 18, 1981 by Pope John Paul II during his Papal visit to Manila. San Lorenzo Ruiz was elevated to Sainthood and canonized by Pope John Paul II in the Vatican City, Rome on October 18, 1987 making him the first Filipino saint and the first Filipino martyr.

SOURCES:
Lorenzo Ruiz Wikipedia Entry

Painting Postcard

The postcard shows a painting by Lourdes Oben Santos entitled Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise. I was not able to find a biography or other works of the painter. The back of the postcard mentions some information about the painting, but not if it's in a private collection or museum:

2002
Acrylic on canvass

Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise Postcard

The painting title is actually one of the sayings of Jesus on the cross (second saying to be exact):
(2) Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)

SOURCE:
Sayings of Jesus on the cross Wikipedia Entry

UPDATE: Paniqui Church

In my blog entry on June 5, 2008 I mistakenly named the church in the postcard as the Paniqui Church of Nazarene. The church in the postcard is actually the St. Rose of Lima Church.

St. Rose of Lima Church Postcard

The St. Rose of Lima Church was built in 1686 by the Dominican friars in honor of the first Catholic saint of the Americas. Its first parish priest was Rev. Fr. Gregorio Echevarria.

RELATED ENTRY:
Paniqui Church of the Nazarene Postcard

Manila City Hall Postcards

The postcards show the Manila City Hall and its clock tower. The original Manila City Hall was built during the early days of American occupation. A new city hall was constructed in 1937, with then Manila Mayor Juan Posadas, Jr., lobbying for a new City Hall. The building had an initial appropriation of Php500,000. Building plans were prepared by Architect Antonio Toledo of the Bureau of Public Works. In 1939, with only a major southern portion of the complex was built, Mayor Posadas died.

Manila City Hall Postcard 1

The edifice is a four-level floor with the clock tower located five levels higher on the north side, and with a garden at the center of the complex. The present city hall is a restoration after it was partially destroyed during World War II. The building proper, if seen from above, resembles a coffin with the clock tower as its candle.

Manila City Hall Postcard 2

The clock tower became a distinctive trademark of the city and the city hall. The clock tower is part of the 5000 square meter Manila City Hall building bounded by Taft Avenue on the West side, Concepcion Road on the north and Arroceros Street on the east. It took about four years to complete the whole complex with the signature clock tower in its northern portion. It was patterned after the famous "Big Ben" clock tower in London.

Manila City Hall Postcard 3

In November 1998, the clock tower (three meters in circumference) was restored to its original state, with the four faces synchronized.

Manila City Hall Postcard 4

SOURCES:Senor Enrique's Blog Entry on Manila City Hall
Manila City Hall Wikipedia Entry

City Hall Clock Tower: On time, same time by Remia Bibit-Eugenio
Cruising Magazine Vol. VI No. 4 September 2004 page29