Taiwan II

Postcard of the Taipei 101 Tower (台北101), the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The tower's 101 floors gave rise to it's name, and it's design is  meant to resemble the jointed segments of a bamboo plant. Bamboo is extremely sturdy, serving as an inspiration to the designers who needed a building able to withstand Taiwan's frequent earthquakes and typhoons.

Many thanks to flatmate Paul, who was in Taipei on holiday. 

Stamp from a 2012 set of four on local berries. Pictured here is glossy nightshade, Solanum americanum, a common plant across the tropical Pacific whose berries are often used in traditional medicine.

Taiwan

Time magazine cover from 1955 about Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣介石) leader of China from 1930 to 1949. After the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, Chiang and members of his party retreated to Taiwan, where he continued to serve as leader until his death in 1975.

Thanks to Charles, who was visiting Taiwan!

Stamp depicting jujube, a popular fruit eaten throughout Asia. Dried fruits are often used to make certain varieties of Chinese tea and in the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, the jujube was often placed in the newlyweds' bedroom as a good luck charm for fertility.