My UNESCO World Heritage Postcards

China - Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites (2026)

"The serial property portrays the evolution of the production of handicraft porcelain from the 10th to 19th centuries that had profound industrial, artistic and trading influences in China and beyond globally. The five component parts reflect the processes of the production of porcelain, including the extraction and transportation of raw materials, innovations in kiln design and the spatial and social organisation of production on an immense scale. The town area featured the Imperial Kiln alongside civilian kilns, guilds and merchant associations. Jingdezhen was a centre of technological innovation in porcelain production, including the “binary formula” of mixing kaolin and porcelain stone. Porcelain of the highest quality was produced at Jingdezhen, and its blue-and-white porcelain and designs became a prized global commodity and a symbol of Chinese culture and artistry."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jingdezhen Blue and White Phoenix Head Pot with Flat Sides, AD 1276-1368. Collection at Capital Museum, Beijing, China. This is a postcard from the Capital Museum collection postcard set that I bought during my visit to this amazing museum.

France - Beaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944

"The serial property comprises six component parts along approximately 80 km of the Normandy coastline, encompassing Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches, as well as Pointe du Hoc. These sites are directly associated with the Allied landings of 6 June 1944, the opening phase of Operation Overlord, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation during the Second World War. The property preserves significant remains of the German Atlantic Wall, including casemates, artillery batteries, fire‑control posts, and resistance nests, alongside battlefield traces, original wartime equipment, and major commemorative landscapes such as the American Cemetery at Colleville‑sur‑Mer. Together, these elements form an exceptional cultural landscape shaped both by the events of 1944 and by their enduring remembrance." "Utah Beach in Manche; Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, Batterie de Longues, Port artificiel Winston Churchill, Gold Beach, Juno Beach, Sword Beach all in Calvados; and underwater remains"

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Postcard 1
Utah Beach at Manche, Normandy. 60th Anniversary of WW2 Normandy Landing.

Postcard 2

Normandy landing. Thanks to Jean-Pierre of France. Received in September 2019.

France - Royal Capetian Fortresses of Languedoc

"The serial property comprises eight fortified sites – Castle and ramparts of Carcassonne and the fortresses of Aguilar, Lastours, Montségur, Peyrepertuse, Puilaurens, Quéribus, and Termes – representing a core part of the Capetian defensive system established in the 13th–14th centuries following the Albigensian Crusade. Built on rugged rocky ridges in strategically significant locations, these fortifications formed the backbone of the newly created seneschalty of Carcassonne, asserting the authority of the seneschal over the former territories of independent feudal lineages. Together, they illustrate the political, military and territorial consolidation of the Capetian Crown in Languedoc through ostentatious architecture adapted to dramatic topography."

Château d’Aguilar Tuchan / Aude
Châteaux de Lastours Lastours / Aude
Château de Montségur Montségur / Ariège
Château de Peyrepertuse Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse / Aude
Château de Puilaurens Puilaurens / Aude (collected)
Château de Quéribus Cucugan / Aude
Château de Termes Termes / Aude
Cité de Carcassonne Carcassonne / Aude "

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Chateau de Puilaurens in Aude - a Cathare castle which attacked and burnt tragically. Postcard thanks to Nathalie of France.

Finland - Aalto Works

"The property consists of thirteen modern buildings and ensembles across Finland (1928–1988) that exemplify the 20th‑century Modern Movement and its response to broad social needs. These civic, community, and residential structures—found in both urban and rural settings—are internationally associated with Alvar Aalto, yet they reflect the collaborative creativity of Aalto, Aino Marsio‑Aalto, Elissa Aalto, the Aalto studio, and their design partners. Rooted in Finnish building traditions while drawing on global modernist ideas, the works express a human‑centred, site‑specific, and empathetic vision that distinguishes Finland’s contribution to modern architecture."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Paimio Sanatorium - Aalto House - Sunila Pulp Mill Housing Area

Villa Mairea - Säynätsalo Town Hall - Experimental House, Muuratsalo

Studio Aalto - Church of Three Crosses, Vuoksenniska - House of Culture

University of Jyväskylä, Aalto Campus - Social Insurance Institution Main Office

Seinäjoki Civic Centre - Finlandia Hall

The components of the series settle in the industrialised and mechanised society of the modern era and in the ideas of the global Modern Movement responding to its challenges. Architect Alvar Aalto’s (1898 - 1976) works are considered masterpieces of the architectural heritage of this movement. The architectural features and special expression of the works have been created in close interaction and dialogue with the international Modern Movement, and their impact continues in modern contemporary architecture. The works include iconic modernistic buildings, sites and areas that have influenced the formation and development of Modern Movement and modernism in Finland, in the Nordic countries and globally. The works are masterful in taking people’s feelings and senses into account and in expressing these by means of architecture, and the works have become an integral part of international modernism.

Source: UNESCO WHS Tentative List

A postcard of Paimio Hospital. Thanks to Nina of Finland.

Japan - Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara

"Located in the southern part of the Nara Basin, Asuka and Fujiwara were the two ancient capitals of the Japanese archipelago that marked the establishment of a centralised state system modelled after the Chinese codified law known as ritsuryō. Nineteen component parts, comprising palaces/government offices, Buddhist temples and mounded tombs, contain archaeological evidence of the Asuka Capital (588-694 CE) and the Fujiwara Capital (694-710 CE). The Asuka capital was established at the site of the Asuka-dera Temple, the first Buddhist temple in Japan. Together, the sites illustrate the introduction and consolidation of key elements of early centralized governance and influenced the later Japanese capitals of Nara and Kyoto."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ishibutai Ancient Tomb of Nara Asukaji, Japan. Special IMF 2012 cancellation. Thanks to Ai of Kyoto, Japan.

USA - Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

"The property, located in southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida, protects the Okefenokee Swamp, the largest lowland freshwater peatland in the subtropical zone worldwide and one of the largest and most intact ecosystems within the North American Coastal Plain global biodiversity hotspot. The property comprises a diverse mosaic of wetlands, savannas, and forests shaped by the ongoing interaction of water, fire, vegetation, and wildlife, with alternating fire and rainfall processes driving peat formation, vegetation structure, and biodiversity. The site also contains significant areas of endangered Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) savanna, of which less than 3% remains, supporting high concentrations of plant species endemic to the region. Its extensive peat deposits provide an important archive of palaeo-environmental history and critical carbon storage. The property supports exceptional biodiversity, including at least 856 plant species, 48 mammal species, 238 bird species, 39 fish species, and 90 reptile and amphibian species, and provides important habitat for migratory birds, threatened species, and a significant population of American alligators." Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Postcard 1
A cool multi-view of Okefenokee Swamp of Georgia, USA. Thanks to Jim of Arizona who was visiting.

Postcard 2
Okefenokee Swamp is located in the south eastern Georgia and north eastern Florida. Nice Zion stamp. Thanks to Jessica of California, USA.

Postcard 3
"Oscar" the famous alligator of Okefenokee Swamp. Thanks to Jim of Arizona, USA.

Thailand - Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat

"Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan (or Phra Mahathat monastery), located in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in Peninsular Thailand on a narrow ridge between the Pacific and Indian oceans, has served as a major regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the 8th century. Benefiting from the transoceanic trade networks, the monastery was influenced by various religious and architectural traditions including Brahmanism, Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism from northeastern India, central Java, Sri Lanka and the Mon region of southern Myanmar. These influences have been integrated into its religious buildings, rituals and cultural traditions. Its distinctive artistic and architectural expressions have exerted a wide-ranging and enduring influence throughout Thailand and across Southeast Asia. The religious and local traditions have continued at the monastery for more than 1,500 years, including the Nakhon Si Thammarat chronicle tradition, the annual cloth-wrapping ceremony for the Great Reliquary and the Nora dance drama."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

NOTE: This is a new 2026 UNESCO WHS inscription. I have extra posttcards to be mailed from Thailand as swap for my missing UNESCO World Heritage. If interested, please email me at smspenang@yahoo.com or message if you have my Facebook/Messenger contact.

Postcard 1
Phra That Temple at Nakornsritammarat, Southern Thailand. Thanks to T.R. for mailing from Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thailand.

Postcard 2

I visited Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat in August 2016 and mailed from the post office there.

Postcard 3

Sunset view. I mailed this postcard from Nakorn Si Thammarat Post Office.

Belgium - Netherlands - Colonies of Benevolence

"The transnational serial property encompasses four settlements; cultural landscapes with one colony in Belgium and three in The Netherlands. Together they bear witness to a 19th century experiment in social reform, an effort to alleviate urban poverty by establishing agricultural colonies in remote locations. Established in 1818, Frederiksoord (the Netherlands) is the earliest of these colonies and home to the original headquarters of the Society of Benevolence, an association which aimed to reduce poverty at the national level. Other components of the property are the colonies of Wilhelminaoord and Veenhuizen, in the Netherlands, and Wortel in Belgium. As the colonies’ small farms yielded insufficient revenues, the Society of Benevolence sought other sources of revenue, contracting with the State to settle orphans, soon followed by beggars and vagrants, leading to the creation of “unfree” colonies, such as Veenhuizen, with large dormitory type structures and larger centralized farms for them to work under the supervision of guards. The colonies were designed as panoptic settlements along orthogonal lines. They feature residential buildings, farm houses, churches and other communal facilities. At their peak in the mid-19th century, over 11,000 people lived in such colonies in the Netherlands. In Belgium their number peaked at 6,000 in 1910. "

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1A - Colony Wilheminaoord
Colony Wilhelminaoord in Drenthe, Netherlands is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021. Thanks to Jarina of Netherlands. Postmarkd Zwolle, written on August 5, 2021 and arrived in Penang island on September 8, 2021.

Postard 1B - Netherlands - Veenhuizen
Colonies of Benevolence at Veenhuizen, Netherlands - a 2021 inscribed UNESCO World Heritage site. This nice postcard with UNESCO WHS stamps used was sent on August 5, 2021 and arrived in Penang island on September 9, 2021. Thanks so much to Jarina of Netherlands.

Postcard 2 - Belgium - Woret-Kolonie
Woret-Kolonie at Hoogstraten near Antwerp in Belgium is a transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thanks to Gerda of Belgium.

Finland - Old Rauma

"Situated on the Gulf of Botnia, Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. Built around a Franciscan monastery, where the mid-15th-century Holy Cross Church still stands, it is an outstanding example of an old Nordic city constructed in wood. Although ravaged by fire in the late 17th century, it has preserved its ancient vernacular architectural heritage."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Old Rauma. Nice stamps. Thanks to Evele of Finland who wrote in both English and Finnish to describe about Rauma.

Postcard 2
Rauma with its historic old wooden town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thanks to Outi of Nokia, Finland.

Tajikistan - Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan - Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor

"The Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor is a key section of the Silk Roads in Central Asia that connects other corridors from all directions. Located in rugged mountains, fertile river valleys, and uninhabitable desert, the 866-kilometre corridor runs from east to west along the Zarafshan River and further southwest following the ancient caravan roads crossing the Karakum Desert to the Merv Oasis. Channelling much of the east-west exchange along the Silk Roads from the 2nd century BCE to the 16th century CE, a large quantity of goods was traded along the corridor. People travelled, settled, conquered, or were defeated here, making it a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures, religions, sciences, and technologies."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Vobkent Minaret in Bukhara region, Uzbekistan is a transnational UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor. Thanks to Yuliya of Belarus for mailing from Uzbekistan.

France - Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange

"Situated in the Rhone valley, the ancient theatre of Orange, with its 103-m-long facade, is one of the best preserved of all the great Roman theatres. Built between A.D. 10 and 25, the Roman arch is one of the most beautiful and interesting surviving examples of a provincial triumphal arch from the reign of Augustus. It is decorated with low reliefs commemorating the establishment of the Pax Romana."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Nice multi-view of Orange. Thanks to Mimi of France for mailing this wonderful postcard inside envelope.

Postcard 2 - Roman Theatre

Roman Theatre of Orange. Thanks to Nancy of France.

Postcard 3 - Arch of Triumph

Day view of the Arch of Triumph of Orange. Thanks to Nicole of Germany who was visiting France.

Postcard 4 - Arch of Triumph
Night view of the Arch of Triumph of Orange. Thanks to Nancy of France.

Postcard 5 - Roman Theatre

Ancient Roman Theater in Orange, France. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Thanks so much to Jean-Pierre of France.

Postcard 6 - Roman Theatre
Interior of Ancient Roman Theatre in Orange, France which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thanks to Jean-Pierre of France.

China - Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu

"The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator of the 6th–5th centuries B.C., are located at Qufu, in Shandong Province. Built to commemorate him in 478 B.C., the temple has been destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries; today it comprises more than 100 buildings. The cemetery contains Confucius' tomb and the remains of more than 100,000 of his descendants. The small house of the Kong family developed into a gigantic aristocratic residence, of which 152 buildings remain. The Qufu complex of monuments has retained its outstanding artistic and historic character due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Confucianism is an integral part of Chinese culture. The birthday of Confucius is now celebrated more widely in Confucius temples all over China. This is the main temple.