COVER N. 454 - CHINA

Postmark: ? 26.04.2024

Posted on the 24th April; received on the 28th May 2024

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What a terrific set of stamps. These are really beautiful works of philatelic art. Thank you so much for this great cover, Xie xie Zhang!

Pigeons are often seen, by us, city dwelling people, as a nuisance. They clog gutters; like gulls, they are rather democratic in what concerns dropping whatever they feel like over the casual passer by (don't ask me how I know it....); they contribute to the degradation of buildings and limestone based sculptures, due to the acidity of their droppings; they over procreate, and so on and so forth.

But it is not their fault, right? They have to live somewhere and it was us who brought them from their original habitat in cliffs, to the cities, where they feel so much at ease.

Also one cannot forget the invaluable services pigeons provided when telecommunications were yet to be made practical use of or during war times.. in fact there was a time when My friend, Mr. Postman could have been My friend, Mr Postpigeon...

But there are many more species of pigeons than the very common domestic pigeon (Columba livia), and when you stop to look at them, they are really beautiful birds, with their metallic sheens and well proportioned bodies.

The beautiful four 1.20 Yuan stamp set on the cover, was issued by the Chinese Post on 05NOV2022 and the stamps are illustrated with relief images of the following species (l to r; t to b):

- Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), a large species, in fact the largest of all pigeons, it seems, which is a common site in all Eurasia, including in the park where I often go to walk a bit by the end of the day. Here it is known by the name of Pombo Torcaz;

- Speckled wood pigeon (Columba hodgsonii), an Asiatic species, occurring in  mountane  forests of Kashmir to Northeast India, eastern Tibet, central China, Yunnan and Myanmar;

- Snow pigeon (Columba leuconota), another Asian and high altitude dwelling species;

-  Eastern rock dove, (Columba rupestris), the Asian counterpart to our common or rock pigeon, the giveaway difference being a broad white band on the black tail. 

So as to complete postage, Zhang included another 1.20 Yuan stamp on the cover, issued on 20APR2023, celebrating the centenary of Yunnan university, which although established in December 1922, only began to enrol students in April of the subsequent year.