XN000022-1989-04-14 — Page 20

FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1989

19

SPECIAL STAMPS ON CHEUNG CHAU BUN FESTIVAL

THE POST OFFICE WILL ISSUE A SET OF SPECIAL STAMPS ON MAY 4 THE CHEUNG CHAU BUN FESTIVAL.

ON

THE STAMPS ARE IN DENOMINATIONS OF 60 CENTS, $1.40, $1.80 $5, AND POSTCARDS SHOWING AN ENLARGEMENT OF THE STAMP DESIGNS WILL ISSUED WITH THE STAMP ISSUE.

OFFICIAL FIRST DAY COVERS, AT 50 CENTS EACH AND POSTCARDS $1 EACH, WILL BE ON SALE AT POST OFFICES ON APRIL 20.

AND

BE

AT

SOUVENIR COVERS AT $10.30 EACH WILL BE PUT ON SALE FROM MAY 8 TO 15 AT THE CHEUNG CHAU POST OFFICE.

EXPLAINING THE BACKGROUND TO THE ISSUE, A POST OFFICE SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT THE CHEUNG CHAU

FESTIVAL WAS THE MAIN RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL OF THE ISLAND.

BUN

THE FESTIVAL STARTED OVER 100 YEARS AGO TO APPEASE THE SPIRITS OF THOSE KILLED BY DISEASE AND PIRATES AND IT USUALLY TOOK PLACE IN THE FOURTH LUNAR MONTH OF THE YEAR LASTING SEVEN DAYS.

THE CLIMAX OF THE FESTIVAL IS A LARGE PROCESSION, STARTING FROM THE SQUARE AT THE PEI TI TEMPLE, WINDING THROUGH THE MAIN STREETS OF THE ISLAND, WITH COLOURFUL BANNERS AND BEAUTIFULLY DRESSED CHILDERN DELICATELY BALANCED ON WIRES DEPICTING LEGENDARY AND MYTHOLOGICAL SUBJECTS.

RESIDENTS ALSO ADD TO THE COLOURFUL PROCESSION WITH THEIR OWN DECORATIONS AND FLORAL ARCHES AT ROAD JUNCTIONS.

THE CEREMONY IS COMPLETED WHEN THE PROCESSION RETURNS TO THE SQUARE WHERE BUN TOWERS ARE ERECTED.

AFTER THE "GHOSTS" HAVE TAKEN THEIR FILL, A PAPER EFFIGY OF THE "TAAI SI WONG" IS BURNT TO SIGNIFY HIS DEPARTURE FOR HEAVEN, TAKING WITH HIM THE HUNGRY GHOSTS.

THE OFFICIATING PRIEST WOULD THEN GIVE A SIGNAL AND THE BUNS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE POPULACE, AND THE AREA IS THEN CLEARED OF EVIL SPIRITS.

THE STAMPS, DESIGNED BY MR

MICHAEL TUCKER, WERE PRINTED IN

IRELAND BY BDT INTERNAL SECURITY PRINTING LTD.

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