Bulgaria issued pre-stamped postcard on 50 Years of Pakistan-Bulgaria Friendship 2015

A magnificent collector item for the collectors of Pakistan-related or Bulgaria-related philatelic items. Bulgaria issued a pre-stamped postcard on 22 June 2015 on the eve of "50 Years of Friendship between Pakistan and Bulgaria".

Thanks a lot to Alex in Bulgaria for sending this beautiful limited edition postcard - written and stamped from Bulgaria on 19 April 2017.

 The 0.40 (Bulgarian Lev) pre-stamped design on the postcard with first day cancellation.

 This coloured design was printed on the bottom left corner of the postcard. The text in Bulgarian says "50 Years of Friendship between Pakistan and Bulgaria".

The stamp used on the postcard shows a mushroom - Russula Virescens. It is the highest denomination stamp from a set of 4 mushroom stamps issued in 2014.

Above pic shows the written text on the back side of the card, written on 18 April 2017.

The above Bulgarian text (Printed vertically in the center of the card) reads: "Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Post" (As per Google Translate)

China : Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing Olympics 2008

This Olympics Stadium Postcard shows Laoshan Velodrome, which is one of the venues for Beijing Olympics 2008. It is one of the 10 official postcards issued on the occasion by State Postal Bureau in 2007. Another postcard showing Basketball Gymnasium can be seen here.

The Laoshan Velodrome hosted track cycling events during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. It has a capacity of 6,000 spectators. A 250-meter oval shaped track is prepared for cycling events. The total area covered by the Velodrome is 33,320 square metres.

The Laoshan Velodrome is being used for international and national cycling competitions and training after the Olympic Games. The velodrome was designed by Schuermann Architects, designers of the ADT Event Center in Carson, CA and the UCI Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland.

The following prepaid stamp was printed on the postcard.

 

Any thoughts on the Postcard or the Laoshan Velodrome design are welcome!

Beijing Olympics 2008 - Basketball Gymnasium

The next in line is an Official Olympics Postcard, issued at the eve of Beijing Olympics 2008, by the State Postal Bureau of  the People's Republic of China. The postcard depicts the grandeur building of Basketball Gymnasium.

The gymnasium covers a total area of 168,000 sq m and is about 7 floors high - with 3 floors underground and 4 above the ground. It has a total capacity of about 18,000 spectators.

One of the best features of the Gymnasium is its Energy Efficiency and it was one of the seven Green Venues for  Beijing Olympics. It has a funnel-shaped LCD Display System which is the first set of comprehensive displays in China that is able to meet the demands of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Not only are the standards met for basketball games, the LED system is also capable of being used for theatrical performances, real-time broadcasts and background imagery.

Furthermore, all audience seats are upholstered for comfort and convenience. On the second floor, there are 45 luxury boxes, with 29 large ones and 16 small ones.

By adopting a rainwater recycling system, easy-to-clean glass and other technologies, the designers fully implemented the idea of "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics, and People's Olympics" into the construction of Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium.

The postcards were sold with a printed stamp of 80 Yuan (If I am not wrong!).
Another postcard of the same set showing Laoshan Velodrome can be seen too!

Thanks Edward for such a magnificent postcard to grace my collection.