Stamp exhibition leaves mark on city

Slides
Photos

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-10 07:41

More than 600,000 exhibitors are expected to attend the 2009 World Stamp Exhibition, which opened last night in Henan province's Luoyang city.

It is the first time all 84 members of the Federation of International Philately (FIP), the exhibition's sponsor, have participated in the annual event, the exhibition's executive committee vice-chairman Guo Hongchang said.

More than 3,200 framed stamp collections will be displayed at the exhibition, which ends on April 16. Among the 80 rare stamp displays are the British royal family's world-renowned "Penny Black" stamps, and the Red Revenue Stamps from China National Post and the Postage Stamp Museum.

Guo said eight medals will be awarded to collections in the competition category.

The World Stamp Exhibition Evaluation Committee, comprised of more than 60 experts from 20 countries and regions, will review the competitive collections.

Regarded as "the Olympics of philatelic cultural activities", the World Stamp Exhibition first came to China when it was hosted by Beijing in 1999.

This year will be the second time it will be staged in China.

The FIP for the first time granted the Gold Medal to a Chinese, Shen Zenghua, for his "East China People's Post" album at London's 1990 exhibition. Shen won the Grand Prix National medal at the 1999 exhibition in Beijing.

The exhibition will be the first event staged in the Luoyang Museum's new hall, which opened on March 26.

Renowned vocalist Sarah Brightman, who sang at the Beijing Olympic Games' opening ceremony, and kung fu superstar Jackie Chan, were among the celebrities who attended the exhibition's opening ceremony last night.

The 27th Peony Exhibition will run in conjunction with the stamp exhibition, so the locally symbolic flower will be displayed throughout the city.

(For more biz stories, please visit Industries)