Taiwan Alpine Flowers Stamps issued May 16, 2011

 

Taiwan is a mountainous island, with more than 200 mountains above 3,000 meters. With the wide range of vertical climatic zones on these mountains—from tropical and subtropical to temperate and cold—come some very diverse forests. Alpine plants grow in areas 3,000 meters above sea level. Constantly exposed to strong ultraviolet radiation, the blooms of these plants are brilliantly colorful. To introduce the beauty of Taiwan’s alpine flowers, Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of four stamps on these flowers.

1. Gentiana scabrida var. punctulata (NT$5): The plant can be found in open meadows and gravelly slopes in high elevation areas of the Central Mountain Range. Each branch typically produces one or two (and occasionally three) terminal flowers. The blooms have yellow campanula calyx and corolla, with black spots at the base of the petals. Though small, when a colony of these colorful exquisite flowers is in full bloom, the sight is simply breathtaking.
2. Euphrasia transmorrisonensis (NT$5): The plant can be found at high elevations. Its Chinese name literally means “millet grass,” either because its small seeds resemble millet or the two yellow marks on the flower’s lip resemble millet. Its flowers are arranged in racemes, with very short pedicels. Each of its tiny delicate white flowers has four tubular or campanula sepals and a smidgen of yellow on its corolla.
3. Clematis montana (NT$10): The plant can be found creeping in meadows or scrambling over shrubs on the sunny side of mountains at high elevations. The elegant white flower’s four large petal-like surfaces are actually its white sepals. The pale yellow filaments in the center of its blossoms are its stamen and pistil.
4. .Cypripediumformosanum (NT$10): The plant can be found in moist forests on high elevation mountains. Its flowers are borne singly. The ovate lanceolate upper sepals of this showy flower are shell pink with pink veins. Bees enter through the opening of its bulging pouch-shaped labellum to carry out the task of pollination. In Chinese, the plant is nicknamed “umbrella” because its flower is shaped like one. And because its labellum resembles a slipper, the plant is also called Japanese lady’s slipper and Formosa lady’s slipper.
   The Stamps were issued on May 16^th of 2011. The stamps are printed in sheets of 16 in a 4 by 4 format on Phosphorescent stamp paper and printed by the Cardon Enterprises Co. The stamps have a perforation size of 12 with the individual stamps having a size of 30 X 50 mm for the low value stamps and 50 X 30 mm for the high value stamps

New Taiwan Postage Stamps Show Domestic Fish

The native freshwater fish of Taiwan’s rivers, lakes, and estuaries comprise the most diverse group of vertebrates within the island’s terrestrial ecosystem. Chunghwa Post has planned a series of postage stamps to introduce the beauty of Taiwan’s freshwater fishes. The first set of the series features Taiwan endemic fishes: Candidia barbaws. Opsariichthys pachycephalus, Spinibarbus hollandi, and Squalidus banarescui. The stamps were released on March 10, 2011. The designs are as follows:
1. Candidia barbatus (on the NT$5 stamp): This silver white fish has an obvious deep blue lateral stripe extending from its gill cover to the base of its caudal fin. It typically measures about 6 to 12 centimeters long, but large examples can sometimes reach 20 centimeters. It is commonly seen in the upper stretches of rivers and their branches in western Taiwan. As a result of human introduction in recent years, it can be found in the rivers of the Hualien and Taitung.
2. Opsariichthys pachycephalus (NT$5): An adult male has some ten blue-green vertical streaks on the sides of its body and displays nuptial coloration in the area below its gill covers as well as at its pelvic, pectoral, and anal fins. Vigorous and ferocious, the species’ strong predatory characteristics make it a popular target for stream fishing. It typically measures about 8 to 15 centimeters long, but large examples 1can reach 20 centimeters. It is commonly seen in the rivers of western Taiwan.
3. Spinibarbus hollandi (NT$12): The fish has a medium-to-large mouth aperture and two pairs of barbels. The back of its body is slate gray and its sides are silver white. This large carp typically measures about 20 to 40 centimeters long. The largest examples can reach 60 centimeters in length. The stamp features a medium-sized adult. It can be found in the middle stretches of rivers in southern and eastern Taiwan.
4. Squalidus banarescui (NT$25): This fish is slightly transparent, with a black and gold lateral line on the sides of its body. There is a black marking that resembles the Chinese character for eight “A-” on each of its lateral line scales. This small carp measures about 8 to 10 centimeters long. It can only be found in relatively deep and slow and slightly muddy rivers in central Taiwan.
A first-day cover, folders with and without crystal mounts and a looseleaf album page will be released along with the stamps and will go on sale on March 8, 2011. A pre-cancelled FDC with the full set of stamps or with a NT$5-denominated stamp will go on sale on March 10, 2011, the issuing date of the stamps. The stamps are the work of Chen 1-Shiung, professor at the Institute of Marine Biology of National Taiwan Ocean University. The stamps were designed  by the marine painter Mr. Jheng Yi-lang and were printed by Central Engraving and Printing Plant by the color offset method of printing on phosphorescent coated stamp paper. The stamps have a size of 40 X 30 mm with the perforation being 13 ½. Each sheet is composed of  20 stamps in a 5 X 4 format.

Taiwan Releases Firworks stamps

Fireworks displays, kaleidoscopes of color and light, dazzling and spectacular against the inky night sky. These artful renderings of high- tech sound and light effects really wow people and bring them great joy. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, the Taiwan Post Office released a souvenir sheet containing 4 stamps showing exploding fireworks over Taipei. Features of the souvenir sheet follow: The four stamps each depict a different firework show. From left to right: the Double Tenth Day fireworks display in Taipei is shown on the first NT$5 value. The second NT$5 stamp shows the Taipei 101 Skyscraper’s New Year fireworks display. The Lantern Festival fireworks show on Kaohsiung’s Love River is shown on the NT$25 value, and the Dragon Boat Festival fireworks display in Taoyuan County’s Longtan is shown on the NT$25 denomination. The background of the souvenir sheet features a fireworks display by the Taipei Ferris Wheel. The souvenir sheet was printed in intaglio combined with offset. For the first time ever, the sheet is hot stamped with optical variable film to highlight the fireworks displays and the play of light and shadow on the Ferris wheel. A stamp folio will be released along with this souvenir sheet. To add to collecting value, the folio comes with a souvenir sheet, as well as an offset print plate proof and an optical variable film proof with serial numbers. The souvenir sheet is designed by Up Creative Design and Advertising Corporation and printed by the Central Engraving & Printing Plant. A first- day cover, folders with and without crystal mounts and a loose-leaf stamp album page will be released along with the stamps. ‘l’hey will go on sale on December 30, 2010. A stamp folio and a pre-cancelled FDC with a souvenir sheet will go on sale on January 1, 2011, the issuing date of the stamps.

See the Fireworks displays below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMgcZ5g98yQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-V7fl5QJcs&feature=related

Taiwan issues New Years items

In many Asian countries New Year’s Day is a much more important holiday than Christmas. To welcome the new year of the Rabbit, Taiwan’s Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of two New Year’s Greeting Postage Stamps and a souvenir sheet. The designs find their inspiration in modern art styles, such as action paintings and pop art. The rabbits are depicted using black silhouettes that are adorned with orange and purple paint splatters. The backgrounds, which are yellow with random red splatters,  make use of traditional Chinese ink-wash effects. The bright colors symbolize joy and convey high expectations about the Year of the Rabbit. The designs are as follows: A   NT$3.50 Stamp showing a  pair of rabbits that conveys the idea of, according to Taiwan’s Post Office, “the treasuring of each other” and symbolizes a year of abundance. A   NT$13.00 Stamp featuring a rabbit looking off into the distance, which represents “achieving success in all one’s endeavors”.

 And finally a  NT$12 00 Souvenir Sheet showing an image of a hopping rabbit that represents the idea of surpassing oneself” and “bounding toward a future of personal transcendence ”  An additional special item for this issue is the release of what is called by the post office a ”press sheet”.   The uncut sheets are composed of two panes of 20 stamps ( 5 X 4) of denominations (NT$3.50 and NT$13 00).  Printer’s markings, such as traffic lights for color checks and guide lines for separating the panes, remain on the sheet margin A certificate of authenticity will be also attached. In addition, a poster tube will be available for storing the press sheet. This philatelic item, the second one of a series since 2009, and is  produced in limited quantity of 4,000 units.

Year of the Rabbit FDC

In addition to the stamps uncanceled First Day Covers for the stamps are available for  NT$2 00 apiece and uncanceled FDC’s for the Souvenir sheet will be  NT$3 00 apiece. Cancelled First Day Covers affixed with one NT$3.50 denominated stamp will NT$5.50 apiece. Cancelled First Day Covers affixed with a complete set of stamps will be NT$18.50 apiece. Finally Cancelled First Day Covers affixed with a souvenir sheet will be NT$15.00.  The price for the special uncut press sheet unit in a poster tube will be NT$1,000.00.

Specially Produced Press Sheets