Special Stamp Issue - "Mainland Scenery Series No. 6: Shilin, Kunming"

Stamp Sheetlet

A stamp sheetlet on the theme of "Mainland Scenery Series No. 6: Shilin, Kunming" will be issued on 3 May 2007 (Thursday).

The spectacular karst terrain of Shilin, the Stone Forest, is the result of weathering and erosion over some 270 million years. This awe-inspiring landscape spans 350 square kilometres, offering a dazzling array of geographical features including jagged pinnacles, graceful lakes, mysterious caverns and magnificent waterfalls. The Great Stone Forest, Small Stone Forest and Naigu Stone Forest are the most famous attractions. As the legend goes, Shilin is the home of Ashima, a folk heroine among the Yi people who inhabit southwest China. The beautiful girl was turned into a pinnacle in the Small Stone Forest, and today the Ashima pinnacle is a must-see tourist attraction.

Shilin was designated a National Scenic Spot in 1982. In 2004, Shilin was included in UNESCO’s first list of Global Geoparks.

With an azure sky and snow-white clouds as the backdrop, the sheetlet features towering pinnacles, the landmark of Shilin on the left and a wonderful vista of the stone landscape enriched with greenery on the right. The focus of the sheetlet falls on the $10 stamp showing "Hanging-by-a-Thread", a rock hanging perilously high overhead.

Official First Day Covers at HK$1 each will be put on sale at all post offices as from 12 April 2007. The stamp sheetlet and the associated philatelic products will be displayed at General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Sha Tin Central Post Office as from the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided covers will be accepted at 39 philatelic offices from 12 to 18 April 2007.

Sales Arrangements

Information about the sale of philatelic products associated with this sheetlet and sales restriction per queuing customer starting from 3 May 2007 are as follows:

Remarks: The above philatelic products have been included in the 2007 Local Standing Order Service.

Hand-back Datestamping Arrangements

A hand-back datestamping service will be provided on 3 May 2007 at all post offices, for official and privately-made covers, bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. A special postmark will also be introduced. This will be available, together with the GPO-1 postmark, the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmark, for hand-back datestamping service at all philatelic offices on that day.

Also on 3 May 2007, the public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau on 1/F., Trade Square, 681 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, will 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:

Presentation Pack (cover and inside design)
Special Postmark	Serviced First Day Cover affixed with Stamp Sheetlet

* Information provided in this link is subject to change.