News
29 January 2004
POSTMASTER GENERAL INTRODUCES THE "COURT OF HONOUR" at the HONG KONG 2004 Stamp Expo
A media preview of the HONG KONG 2004 Stamp Expo's "Court of Honour" was today (29 January 2004) held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. The Court of Honour is a special highlight of the five-day HONG KONG 2004 Stamp Expo to be opened on 30 January 2004.
Mr. Allan Chiang, Postmaster General, introduced the Court of Honour, which showcases a number of rare historical exhibits from both private collections and public museums. These include:
- "The Whole Country is Red" - stamps with no serial number and classification issued during the China's Cultural Revolution;
- A letter from Calcutta addressed to a Mr Owen on board Her Majesty's vessel, the Larissa, which bears a fine strike of the circular Hong Kong Post Office 1841 handstamp;
- The finest example of the famous Four Pence Black stamp issued at the Cape of Good Hope; and
- Two original Ancient Egyptian documents, which are among the earliest letters still in existence. Both are inscribed on Papyrus and date back over two thousand years.
The Postmaster General explained that the Expo's theme of "Tourism" was chosen to align with government initiatives promoting tourism in Hong Kong. A series of six stamp sheetlets is especially designed to commemorate the international event. The first two sheetlets depicting different facets of tourism - Hong Kong's nightlife and natural environment - were launched in April and October last year. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth sheetlets, bearing motifs relating to Chinese Culinary Heritage, the Chinese New Year Parade, Shopping Fun and Fire Dragon Dance, will be released during the Expo. He added that stamp collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world and, as such, the Expo will have broad appeal to tourists and local collectors alike, cultivating the spread of philately and promoting tourism.
Mr Chiang said he was proud of Hong Kong's postal and philatelic history. "We have an impressive track record of winning international and regional prizes for our stamp designs and printing. In addition, the first ever Philatelic Marketing Seminar was staged at the Stamp Exhibition back in 1997. It proved so successful that it has become a regular event at subsequent Asia International Stamp Exhibitions. This year, we introduce another innovation with the display and marketing of coins, as well as stamps."
He went on to suggest that Hong Kong has one of the highest, if not the highest, rates of philatelists per capita in the world adding that, "Among Hong Kong's 6.8 million inhabitants, we estimate there are at least 100,000 philatelists. This equates, on average, with 15 philatelists per 1,000 people in Hong Kong. One only has to look at the public responses to a first-day stamp issue, and the level of public support at these stamp expos, to see how popular a pastime stamp collecting is with local hobbyists".
The HONG KONG 2004 Stamp Expo will run from 30 January to 3 February 2004, and is co-organized by the Hong Kong Philatelic Society, the China Philatelic Association and the Tsim Sha Tsui Philatelic Club. Under the patronage of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (F.I.A.P.), this expo is also known as the 17th Asian International Stamp Exhibition. Over 100 postal administrations, stamps agents, printers, dealers and philatelic publishers and suppliers from around the world will participate. The event takes place in Hall 1 of the HKCEC and occupies about 15,000 square feet. Attendance is free to the public and a special feature of the event is that coins, as well as stamps, will be on display for the first time.
For further details, check the web site http://www.hongkong2004stampexpo.com.
Hongkong Post hosted a media preview of the HONG KONG 2004 Stamp Expo's "Court of Honour" today (29 January 2004) at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Mr. Allan CHIANG, Postmaster General (left) introduced the Wen-Headed Stamp in the Early Stage of Cultural Revolution - "The Whole Country is Red".