World Stamp Championship to open in Taiwan for 1st time

2016/10/18

The World Stamp Championship, or PHILATAIPEI 2016, opens Oct. 21 for the first time in Taiwan, serving as an outstanding platform for international philatelic exchanges and raising the country’s profile on the global stage.

Organized by state-owned Chunghwa Post Co. Ltd, Chinese Taipei Philatelic Federation and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the six-day event at Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 brings together philatelists, stamp dealers, and representatives of philatelic federations, postal service providers and publishers from 80 nations. It also features 2,450 frames of competitive and noncompetitive stamps from 101 countries.

Chunghwa Post Vice President Wang Shu-min said the number of frames and participants at PHILATAIPEI 2016 is expected to be among the highest in the history of the quadrennial event authorized by Luxembourg-headquartered Federation Internationale de Philatelie, the world governing body for philately. Launched in 2004, the championship’s previous hosts are Singapore in 2004, Israel in 2008 and Indonesia in 2012.

“Visitors will be afforded the opportunity to learn more about the cultures of different nations through displays of various stamp collections,” Wang said. “In addition, leading philatelists and stamp dealers from home and abroad can carry out exchanges and help boost local interest in philately.”

According to Chunghwa Post, other highlights of the show include a collection of mailboxes adorned with images from Taiwan’s 16 indigenous tribes, animations, augmented reality stamps, audio-visual and virtual reality interactive displays, and creative design demonstrations.

Chunghwa Post, which is celebrating the 120th anniversary of its founding this year, has organized five well-attended Asian international stamp exhibitions since 1993. One of the most successful was the 30th Asian International Stamp Exhibition, which attracted about 230,000 stamp lovers from 24 countries to Taipei last April.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=248714&ctNode=2194&mp=9)