"Hong Kong, China - Portugal Joint Issue on Fishing Villages"

Mint Stamps

A set of "Hong Kong, China - Portugal Joint Issue on Fishing Villages" special stamps will be issued on 18 October 2005 (Tuesday). This is the sixth joint issue of stamps that Hongkong Post has made with another postal administration. This set of stamps, jointly issued with Portugal Post, features Fishing Villages. The $1.40 and $3 stamps depict Tai O's characteristic wooden stilt-houses, a fishing boat and the local specialty dried salted fish. The $2.40 and $5 stamps feature the palafitte landing stage of Aldeia da Carrasqueira in Portugal. It is flanked by colourful fishing boats and in the foreground is a fisherman at work.

Hong Kong, like Portugal, used to naturally foster coastal villages where fishing became a major source of livelihood. Today, Hong Kong is recognised as a bold and dynamic city, hardly reflecting its modest beginnings as a humble fishing village. But venture into Tai O, located on the far north-westerly edge of Lantau Island, and you'll find a small harbour where fishing is still a local trade today. In Tai O, the fishing village was built on stilts which gives it a unique appearance and a distinctive character. It is well worth the visit for tourists who want to explore Hong Kong's past.

In a similar fashion, the fisher-folk of Aldeia da Carrasqueira in Portugal drove wooden pillars into the mud-flats and built a web of landing stages to moor their fishing boats. Over time, there emerged an extremely beautiful palafitte wharf zigzagging out into the waterway of the Sado Estuary.

This set of stamps brings you different experience of fishing villages. Do not miss it!

Information about philatelic products associated with this issue and the sales restriction per queuing customer starting from 18 October 2005 are as follows:

Remarks: The above philatelic products have been included in the 2005 Local Standing Order Service.

The stamps will be displayed at the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Sha Tin Central Post Office from 27 September 2005. Official First Day Covers at HK$1 each will be put on sale at all post offices on the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided souvenir covers will be accepted at 39 philatelic offices from 27 September to 3 October 2005.

Hand-back datestamping service will be provided at all post offices on 18 October 2005 for official and privately-made covers, bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. A special postmark will also be introduced and available for hand-back service at all post offices. In addition, the "GPO-1" postmark, the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmark will be available for hand-back datestamping service at 39 philatelic offices on that day.

Also on 18 October 2005, the public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau on 1/F., Trade Square, 681 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for datestamping covers with the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark, the "GPO-1" postmark and the special postmark.

Stamp Printing Details

Mini-pane		Presentation Pack
Souvenir Pack		Serviced Maximum Cards
Picture Cards
Special Postmarks		Special Postmarks
Serviced First Day Cover affixed with Hongkong Post's Stamps		Serviced First Day Cover affixed with Stamps of 2 Postal Administrations

* Information provided in this link is subject to change.