I was given these cards on the Taiwan stand by the tourist board at World Travel market in London November 2016. The cards show characters from Chinese mythology which you will see depicted in art and plays and stories and statues.
Such lovely, colourful cards, make me want to bring them out to impress others and start conversations at bridge games. Yet, the cards are so pretty, I would not want to spoil them. I would like to frame them. You can buy cards with slots which fit inside frames.
If you go to Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong or China, look for Chinese playing cards. When buying playing cards, remember that serious bridge players and those in competitions will want a standard pack. But for souvenirs, I just love cards decorated in this way.
In London there is a playing card and chess shop in Baker Street. Walk south from Baker Street station, on the left side of the road.
My current favourite is the set from Taiwan.
http://www.wopc.co.uk/shop/
Assorted designs.
For personalised playing cards with English and Italian style faces:
http://www.ludocards.com/?gclid=CjwKEAiA0pDBBRCFtoPyguTh8AUSJADNWeuxSnS-G2cgeMONoP07VGDwabB4jn6LlTVn1E2c0ozevxoCVfnw_wcB
For Heritage brand playing cards in assorted designs such as animals such as butterflies, cats, horses, castles, kings and queens:
shop.chess.co.uk/SearchResults.…
Singapore Airlines offers free cards on board. The packs had a back showing on every card the same as the picture on the pack a Singapore Airlines plane or stewardess or other theme related to the airline, changing year to year. The front is the standard 'English' playing card design.
To go back to the cards which inspired me to write this, in case you can't read the words, the front of my pack which appears as white under a heart says:
Taiwan
Taiwan Tourism Bureau
www.taiwan.net.tw
The back says on the red side
Creative Puppet Art
facebook https://www.facebook.com/SamadhiTang
On the white band underneath the text reads:
Translated by Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages
You can buy Chinese tarot cards on Amazon. Also a larger range of collectible cards on Ebay. Make sure you are buying a set, with jokers, and different fronts, (not just one design on the back, not two swap cards or a single card). But my Taiwan playing cards are still my favourites.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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