ON
6
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 1984
THE FOUR STAMPS TO BE ISSUED ARE:
-
THE PHOENIX - 40 CENTS - A LEGENDARY KIND-HEARTED BIRD WITH FIVE COLOURS, THE MALE BEING KNOWN AS +FENG+ AND THE FEMALE +HUANG+. WHENEVER IT APPEARED, THERE WAS PEACE IN THE WORLD; WHENEVER IT FLEW, OTHER BIRDS FOLLOWED. ANCIENT CHINESE PEOPLE REFERRED TO THE PHOENIX AS AN AUSPICIOUS BIRD WHICH APPEARED WHEN A SAGE KING WAS BORN.
THE UNICORN - $1.00 - A DEER-LIKE MYTHICAL ANIMAL
IT WITH THE BODY OF A HORSE AND THE TAIL OF AN OX.
IT IS HAD A LONG HORN ON THE HEAD AND FIVE LEGS. AN AUSPICIOUS BEAST WHICH, LIKE THE PHOENIX, APPEARED AT THE BIRTH OF A SAGE KING OR A VIRTUOUS RULER. THE UNICORN, TOGETHER WITH THE PHOENIX, THE TORTOISE AND THE DRAGON ARE CALLED THE FOUR SUPERNATURAL CREATURES. ANCIENT CHINESE PEOPLE CONSIDERED IT AS A SACRED ANIMAL WITH A LIFE-SPAN OF 1 000 YEARS.
THE BUTTERFLY - $1.30 - PORTRAYED BY CHINESE ARTISTS IS NEARLY ALWAYS ON THE MOVE AND FULL OF LIFE. IT IS TAKEN AS A SYMBOL OF LONGEVITY FOR IT CONVEYS THE WISH THAT THE RECIPIENT REACH THE AGE OF 70 TO 80.
THE FISH - $5.00- A SYMBOL OF WEALTH ON ACCOUNT OF THE SIMILARITY OF ITS NAME WITH THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE CHARACTER +YU+ MEANING ABUNDANCE, OWING TO ITS REPRODUCTIVE POWER, IT IS ALSO A SYMBOL OF REGENERATION.
DESIGNED BY MR JOHNNY YAM, THE STAMPS WILL BE ON DISPLAY ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, CONNAUGHT PLACE AND IN THE TSIM SHA TSUI POST OFFICE, MIDDLE ROAD, DAILY FROM AUGUST 30 TO SEPTEMBER 5 FROM 9.30 AM TO 4.30 PM.
THE OFFICIAL FIRST DAY COVERS WILL BE PUT ON SALE ON AUGUST 23 AT 50 CENTS EACH.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE STAMPS IS PRINTED ON THE BACK OF THE COVERS. ADVANCE ORDERS FOR SERVICING FIRST DAY COVERS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM AUGUST 23 TO SEPTEMBER 3 AT ALL POST OFFICES, SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO REMINDED COLLECTORS THAT THE +CHINESE LANTERNS+ ISSUE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A SET OF SPECIAL STAMPS TO BE ISSUED ON NOVEMBER 21 TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB.