Saipan

Saipan is the largest island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines.

This postcard, my first one from there, shows the Banzai Cliff, from where you can enjoy a stunning view of the sea and sky. But it is also a historical site: numerous suicides by Japanese civilians and soldiers were taken place here at the end of the Battle of Saipan in 1944. Banzai Cliff is a reminder of the cruel wars.

I have to thank Qinglan who visited Saipan and sent me this special postcard! A postage chop of USPS was used, which states “Mailed from Zip Code 96950”. “96950” stands for “Saipan -MP” in the postal system of USPS.