Bridges of South East Asia & the World

Thailand 🇹🇭 

World stamp exhibition 2018 - Tourist destinations 

Date of issue : 28-November-2018

Postmark : Hin Kong, Ratchaburi, Thailand 

Khao Tha Chomphu White Bridge: The Railway Bridge is situated at Ban Tha Chomphu, Lamphun Province. It was between Khun Tan railway station and The Chomphu railway station. It has become a historic bridge now. The bridge construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1920. It has been used as part of the railway from Lampang to Chiang Mai.

  A fascinating story arose related to the bridge during WWII that the allied forces thought of bombing it to destroy the Japanese railway route. The scheme prodded the villagers to paint the bridge black to camouflage it from the allied forces. They managed to save the bridge from the bombs.

Indonesia 🇮🇩 

Bridges of Indonesia 

Date of issue : 03-12-2017

Postmark : Bogor , Indonesia / 06-03-2019

Jembatan Merah Putih is a cable stayed bridge in the  Ambon Bay Of Ambon island connecting Rumah Tiga village with Hative Kecil village. Construction began in 2011 and the bridge was inaugurated in 2016, making it the longest bridge in the eastern side of Indonesia. The bridge is named after the flag of Indonesia - Bendarah Merah Putih

Jembatan Tayan is a Truss Arch Bridge and the longest bridge in West Borneo which crosses Kapuas River in Sanggau, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The bridge construction was started in 2012 and ended in 2016. The construction of the bridge is divided into two parts. The first part is a 300 meters bridge from Tayan town to Tayan Island, and the second part is a 1,140 meters bridge from Tayan Island to Piasak.

Jembatan Soekarno is a bridge connecting the old and new parts of Manoda city in North Sulawesi. The bridge was stalled for 15 years due to technical reasons and finally opened in 2016. 

Vietnam 🇻🇳 

International stamp exhibition - Pacific 97- SanFrancisco USA -modern suspension bridges of the world 

Date of issue : 12-06-1997

Postmark : Saigon , 13-06-2019

Golden Gate Bridge ( USA )  is a suspension bridge connecting San Francisco with Marin County, California. It was inaugurated in 1937. 

Raippaluota Bridge ( Finland ) is a cable-stayed tuftform bridge connecting the island of Replot with the mainland in Korsholm, near Vaasa, Finland. It is 1,045 metres (3,428 ft) long and the longest bridge of Finland. It was inaugurated in 1997. 

The Great Seto Bridge ( Japan )  is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built over the period 1978–88, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project connecting Honshū and Shikoku islands, and the only one with railroad connections included. At 13.1 kilometers (8.1 mi), it ranks as the world's longest two-tiered bridge system.

Bridges of Portugal

A registered post from Portugal 🇵🇹 with Europa 2018 bridges stamps 

Portugal issued three sets of Stamps and Minisheet for Europa 2018 - each one representing Portugal , Madeira and Azores respectively. 

Each Minisheet had two stamps - one of the stamps showing a recent bridge and the other one an old bridge . The envelope has three stamps - showing the new bridges from the three Minisheets. 

The Roman bridge of Trajan ( orange stamp ) is a stone construction that rises from the Tâmega river, in the centre of Chaves, formed with robust granite voussoirs that form 12 perfectly rounded arches. Built between the end of the rst century and the beginning of the second century AD, it served as access to the city until the 1950’s. Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, emperor of Rome, would thus inscribe his name into the history of Aqua Flaviae, at the time an important town endowed with a thermal complex and excellent road structures. This span, which is the oldest bridge in Portugal, ex-libris of the modern city of Chaves, still functions as a pedestrian crossing.

Inaugurated in 1998, the Vasco da Gama Bridge ( blue stamp ) is a symbol of contemporary Portugal and a milestone of civil engineering. It crosses the Tagus on a 12.3-kilometre- -long route, joining the south bank of the Tagus to the Parque das Nações at the easternmost part of Lisbon. Its length made it necessary to consider the curvature of the planet in order to avoid an 80 centimetres deviation at the extremities. Some of the foundations are 2.2 metres in diameter and are embedded 95 metres below mean sea level. It is robust and was built to withstand violent earthquakes and winds of 250 km/h. The deck is a mixed structure composed of concrete slabs laying on steel crossbeams. 62 thousand cars cross the bridge every day.

The Ribeira da Metade Bridge ( green ) is a stone masonry construction that connects two parishes of Santana municipality, in the north-east of the island of Madeira: Faial and São Roque do Faial, a small area located at the base of the central mountainous massif. In geographically rugged territories, the construction of bridges is historically associated with the improvement of the living conditions of the populations. Ensuring access from Funchal to the north of Madeira, the bridge over the Metade Stream dates back to the 1940s. It maintains the original design today.

High mountains, deep valleys and steep slopes mark the relief of the island of Madeira. The Socorridos Bridge ( red ) , in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, is a modern and lofty structure designed to unite what nature so completely separated. Opened to the public in 1993, it was the rst cable-stayed bridge with axial suspension built in the country, a project signed by Armando Pereira and António Reis. The 120-metre- -high pillars stand out in the landscape of the picturesque shing village, a few kilometres from Funchal. The deck is a prestressed single-layer concrete box.

In Matriz parish in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, in the north of the island of São Miguel in the Azores, the Bridge of Eight Arches ( violet ) stands out in the landscape. Built between 1888 and 1895, it is an imposing structure of stone masonry that rises to 20 metres. At its highest point, broad views of the sea and the city centre can be enjoyed. True to its name, it was erected on eight fully-rounded arches. It is considered one of the greatest Azorean roadworks of the nineteenth century, under the responsibility of the military engineer António Augusto de Sousa e Silva. Inscribed on the coat of arms of that northern municipality, it is also known as the Ribeira Grande Bridge.

Designed to cross one of the most impressive valleys in the north-eastern zone of São Miguel, which is very deep and rugged, the Despe-te-que-suas Bridge is the longest and highest bridge in the Azores archipelago: it measures 385 metres and is 160 metres above the water line. The deck is structured on a continuous and monolithic box girder with the pillars. It owes its unique name, which translates to something akin to “take your clothes off, otherwise you will sweat” to the local stream, once so named for the redoubled effort required of those who travelled along the steep slope it now crosses.

Thanks Lalande Jorge for the cover !! Wonder if I will be able to get a cover with the older bridges stamps ;) 

Bridges of Vatican City

My first cover from Vatican City with Europa 2018 stamps and an interesting postmark 

The Europa 2018 stamps issued by the Philatelic and Numismatic Office on 3-05-2019, with artwork by artist Stefano Morri, depict Saint Peter and Saint John Nepomuk, the first patron of bridge builders and the second priest and martyr of the 14th Century who suffered torture and cruel punishment in defending the Church, and was thrown alive into the Vltava river. 

Peter was a native of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberias. He was called Simon before meeting Jesus. He worked as a fisherman with his brother Andrew. Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, and Jesus called Peter to become a disciple. Peter was at Jesus’s sides at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter played a major role in the Passion of Jesus. He helped organize the Last Supper. When Jesus was arrested, Peter cut off the right ear of a slave of the high priest Malchus. Just as Jesus had predicted at the Last Supper, Peter denied Christ three times. After the Resurrection, Peter went to the tomb with the other disciple. The first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead of the other disciples, at Tiberias. Jesus gave to Peter the famous command to lead the new Church, “Feed my lambs…. Tend my sheep…. Feed my sheep”. He is the Patron of Bridge Builders. 

Saint John of Nepomuk is the saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, a patron against calumnies and, because of the manner of his death, a protector from floods and drowning

Two bridges stand in the background: 

“Ponte Sant’Angelo” in Rome, built between 130 and 135 A.D. as an access way to the Mausoleum of Hadrian. 

Ponte Sant'Angelo, once the Aelian Bridge or Pons Aelius, meaning the Bridge of Hadrian, is a Roman bridge in Rome, Italy, completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian, to span the Tiber, from the city center to his newly constructed mausoleum, now the towering Castel Sant'Angelo. The bridge is faced with travertine marble and spans the Tiber with five arches, three of which are Roman; it was approached by means of ramp from the river. The bridge is now solely pedestrian, and provides a scenic view of Castel Sant'Angelo.

 “Charles Bridge” (in Czech, Karlův most) in Prague, a historic stone bridge on the Vltava river linking the old city with the Malá Strana district and considered one of the most famous monuments in the Czech Republic’s capital.

The Postmark 

The postmark was issued for the Pope Francis visit to the United Arab Emirates . The visit is historical as it marks the first ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula . The Pope visited the Emirates from 3-5 February 2019 as a show of peace and tolerance ! Amen !! 

Thanks Davide for this beautiful cover ! 

Bridges of Liechtenstein

A cover from Liechtenstein 🇱🇮 with Europa 2018 Bridges stamps 

The “Alte Rheinbrücke Vaduz” (Old Rhine Bridge Vaduz) and the “Fussgängerbrücke Balzers“ (Balzers Footbridge) (face value: CHF 1.50 each) are Liechtenstein’s Europa stamps of 2018. 

The perspective from which photographer Roland Rick depicted the two bridges spanning the River Rhine is intriguing as he shot photos through underneath each bridge. 

On the stamp showing Balzers footbridge, he captured the snow-capped, 2,562-metre-high Falknis mountain in the background. 

The "Alte Rheinbrücke" is a covered wooden bridge linking the municipalities of Vaduz and Sevelen.

Measuring 135 metres in length, it was completed in 1901 and is today the only remaining wooden bridge spanning the Rhine. Another wooden bridge was, in fact, erected at the same spot 30 years earlier. However, this required rebuilding due to damage caused by the bridge being raised on two separate occasions while work was being carried out redirecting the Rhine.

After the dam in Schaan broke in 1927, the bridge was raised once again. The bridge, which has a wooden roof, was renovated between 2009 and 2010. Motor vehicles are not permitted to use the bridge, making it particularly popular with cyclists.

On this special stamp Vaduz Castle can be seen on the opposite side of the valley from between the massive pillars of the listed structure.  

Thanks Silvia for this beautiful cover ! 

Covered bridges of Canada

Covers from Canada with Bridges postmarks ! 

The first cover is from Hartland, New Brunswick - Canada 🇨🇦 

The Hartland Bridge in Hartland, New Brunswick, is the world's longest covered bridge, at 1,282 feet (391 m) long. It crosses the Saint John River from Hartland to Somerville, New Brunswick, Canada. The framework consists of seven small Howe Trussbridges joined together on six piers.

Received this postcrossing meetup card inside the envelope - the postcard shows the cancellation and the bridge on the front side ! 

Another cover from New Brunswick, Norton 

The postmark shows the Moosehorn Creek covered bridge - built in 1915 

New Brunswick has 58 covered historic bridges of Canada. You can find amazing pictures and information regarding these wonderful bridges from https://newbrunswickcoveredbridges.blogspot.com/?m=1

And also an awesome drone view of this beautiful bridge at https://youtu.be/jrvJEqqLwm8

Thanks to the postmaster of Norton who not only postmarked my cover , but also put the cover inside another envelope with the postmark on it too and also a card for me ! 

Europa 2018 Bridges

Austria 🇦🇹 

Switzerland 🇨🇭 

Poland 🇵🇱 

Ireland 🇮🇪 

Ukraine 🇺🇦 

Ukraine 🇺🇦 

Slovenia 🇸🇮 

France 🇫🇷 

Faroe Islands 🇫🇴 

Russia 🇷🇺 

Bulgaria 🇧🇬 

Italy 🇮🇹 

Belarus 🇧🇾 

Albania 🇦🇱 

Romania 🇷🇴 

Åland Islands 🇦🇽 

Turkey 🇹🇷 

Slovakia 🇸🇰 

Liechtenstein 🇱🇮 

Portugal 🇵🇹 

Cyprus 🇨🇾 

Footbridge of Canada

A postmark from Canada showing the Hopewell Footbridge , Hopewell- Nova Scotia 

The Hopewell Footbridge is one of the last surviving footbridges in North America. It was originally built in the 1800's along with another footbridge, which was destroyed by ice and extreme winter conditions. In 1991 large effort was made to restore the bridge. The bridge itself stems off into a series of trails and walking paths overlooking the river. The attached park is home to the annual Footbridge Ceilidh, which takes place the second Sunday in August.  

Bridges of Italy

A cover with Europa 2018 Bridges stamps Of Italy 

The Bridge across Metaura river - Fermignano
The bridge is located to the south of Fermignano (PU) and allows you to cross the river Metauro. The bridge dates back to 1364 and the local tradition call it "Roman" - this bridge and some elements, including construction techniques, corroborate this hypothesis. The bridge, with its three arches and built in blocks of stone, overlooking a large waterfall on the river Metauro that here was regimented in order to provide water to an industrial plant now closed.

The Ponte Pietra (Italian for "Stone Bridge"), is a Roman arch bridge crossing the Adige River in Verona, Italy. The bridge was completed in 100 BC, and the Via Postumia from Genoa to Aquileia passed over it. It is the oldest bridge in Verona. It originally flanked another Roman bridge, the Pons Postumius; both structures provided the city (on the right bank) with access to the Roman theatre on the east bank. The arch nearest to the right bank of the Adige was rebuilt in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala. Four arches of the bridge were blown up by retreating German troops in World War II, but rebuilt in 1957 with original materials.

The cancelation is from 2018 art/ philatelic exhibition at Torino !