2008 Olympic Torch Relay - III

2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Relay - PSM Souvenior Cover

Above are the souvenior covers design by Philately Society of Malaysia ("PSM") for the Beijing 2008 Torch Relay in Kuala Lumpur on 21 April 2008. They are affixed with 4 design of corporate personalised stamp. A set of really nice cover worth to be added to your collection.

2008 Olympic Torch Relay - II

2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in Kuala Lumpur - 21 April 2008

"Bei Bei"

In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life.

The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

"Jing Jing"

Jingjing makes children smile -- and that's why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature's gifts -- and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.

"Huan Huan"

In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport -- and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit. And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 -- and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people -- can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals -- with just a touch of China's traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring.

"Ying Ying"

Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China's landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying's flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China. The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing's commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.

"Ni Ni"

Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini's figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced "yan" in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.

"Fu Niu Le Le"

Most people may not recognised this moscot. It is not as widely advertised as the Fuwa. However, as the moscot for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Game, I think it hold a more special meaning above all.

The design of Fu Niu Lele derives its inspiration from the farming cultivation culture of ancient Chinese civilization, and bears the following salient features:

Showing the rich concept of the Beijing Paralympic Games

Cows, symbolic of a down-to-earth, diligent, staunch and never-say-die spirit, are adopted to show the unremitting spirit of athletes with a disability in being the best they can be. It dovetails with the upbeat spirit of Paralympians and the concept of "Transcendence, Equality, Integration" of the Beijing Paralympic Games. The determined, optimistic and diligent spirit of cows reflects a positive attitude to life. The Paralympic Games calls for people with a disability to enjoy the same rights to compete in sports as anyone else, and to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the World, and thus develop their strength to add vigor and vitality to social progress. Fu Niu Lele invites people from across the globe to come to Beijing, enjoy the splendours of the Beijing Paralympic Games and see the inspiring performances of Paralympic athletes who achieve the unexpected.

Embodying the harmony between man and nature

As one of the animals closest to human beings, cows are well-known for their friendliness and their affinity to the humans who care for them. Throughout the history of the development of world civilization, poetry and songs have clearly expressed the aspiration of humankind for a harmonious life. Cows have often found their way into the natural, cozy and poetic country life reflected in literary and art works, showing public expectation for the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.In the traditional culture of China, cows are also depicted as animals considered auspicious in inviting good weather and bumper harvests.

Carrying rich national style and cultural features

The design scheme absorbs the modeling and design styles unique to China's folk engraved prints, New Year drawings, and toys. This, plus features unique to the modeling of modern cartoons, shows an integration of traditional folk style and public interest with that of modern times.

Cows are widely accepted internationally

Cows were one of the first animals depicted in literary and art works. Cases in point include the Lascaux mural in France and Altamira rock paintings in Spain, which all contain drawings of cows. Therefore, adopting cows as the mascot of the Paralympic Games, instead of traditional rare animals, is a creative act in terms of design to a certain extent.

2008 Olympic Torch Relay - I

2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in Kuala Lumpur - 21 April 2008

In commemorate the Olympic Torch Relay in Kuala Lumpur at 21 April 2008, I have made a set of 10 souvenir covers. Sadly to say that POS Malaysia did not produce anything cover/stamp/cancellation to celebrate this memorable events.

The first series consist of the following covers:

"Beijing 2008 Torch Relay Emblem and Slogan"

The Logo of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay owes much of its inspiration to the traditional concept of "fire phoenix", and presents the image of two runners holding the Olympic Flame high. As ancient Chinese legend has it, phoenix is the king of all birds, and symbolizes good fortune, eternity, nobility and happiness. The use of the phoenix image in the Torch Relay logo conveys the idea that the Torch Relay will send the best wishes from the Beijing Olympic Games to people all over China and the rest of the world.

The slogan of the relay is "Light the Passion Share the Dream". The slogan is highly expressive of the theme and distinctive in sentence structure. "Light the passion" captures the spirit of Olympic Torch Relay and is inspiring. "Share the Dream" falls within Olympic language terminology and correlates with the staging concepts of the Beijing Olympic Games and its "One World One Dream" slogan. The slogan is simple, meaningful and easy to remember, read and share.

"Beijing 2008 Torch"

The Beijing Olympic Torch boasts strong Chinese characteristics, and showcases Chinese design and technical capabilities. It embodies the concepts of a Green Olympics, a High-tech Olympics and the People's Olympics.

The torch is 72 centimetres high, weighs 985 grams and is made of aluminium. The torch is of a curved surface form, with etching and anodizing being used during its production. A torch can usually keep burning for approximately 15 minutes in conditions where the flame is 25 to 30 centimetres high in a windless environment. The torch has been produced to withstand winds of up to 65 kilometres per hour and to stay alight in rain up to 50mm an hour. The flame can be identified and photographed in sunshine and areas of extreme brightness. The fuel is propane which is in accordance with environmental guidelines. The material of its form is recyclable.

"Beijing 2008 Emblem and Slogan"

Every emblem of the Olympics tells a story. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing" is filled with Beijing's hospitality and hopes, and carries the city's commitment to the world.

"Dancing Beijing" serves as the city's foremost appearance. It is an image that shows the eastern ways of thinking and the nation's lasting appeal embodied in the Chinese characters. It is an expression that conveys the unique cultural quality and elegance of Chinese civilization.

With inspiration from the traditional Chinese art form - calligraphic art, the character "Jing" (the latter of the city's name) is developed into the form of a dancing human being, reflecting the ideal of a "New Olympics". The words "Beijing 2008" also resembles the vivid shapes of Chinese characters in handwriting, voicing in concise strokes of the countless feelings Chinese people possess towards the Olympics.As people ponder on the rich connotations and charms of these Chinese characters, a "New Beijing" has thus been brought forward.

The Slogan "One World One Dream" fully reflects the essence and the universal values of the Olympic spirit -- Unity, Friendship, Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream. It expresses the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind. In spite of the differences in colors, languages and races, we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games, and together we seek for the ideal of Mankind for peace. We belong to the same world and we share the same aspirations and dreams.

"Beijing 2008 Mascot - Fuwa"

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

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I felt pretty proud, as a chinese, for China being able to organised Beijing 2008 Olympic games. I wish all the best to China and may the games be smoothly carried out.

For the next post, I will be posting the torch relay souvenior cover featuring the Olympic Mascot. So stay tune.

1995 National Stamp Exhibition

1995 Kuching, Sarawak National Stamp Exhibition

"1995 Sarawak National Stamp Exhibition Cover"

Another major even for 1995 was the Kuching Sarawak National Exhibition. I have not taken part in this event and thus would not know how grand the event was and how long the exhibition last. As 26 September was Tuesday, thus i would assume that it lasted for a week.

As the exhibition start on the first day of issue for the Turtle of Malaysia booklet, thus this cover is sometime regarded as the official FDC for the stamps.

"1995 First Day Exhibition Cancellation"

A special pictorial cancellation is also issued for each day of the exhibition. The first day exhibition postmark feature the hornbill, the state identity for Sarawak. If you are interested in collecting all hornbill theme stamp/postal stationery from Malaysia, you may want to visit here.

1995 Turtle Booklet FDC

1995 Turtle of Malaysia Booklet on FDC

"Turtle FDC - Kuala Lumpur version (front and back)"

1995 marked a crazy year for POS Malaysia as they have issued 3 booklets, ie: Marine Paradise, Turtle of Malaysia and Proton. What's interesting was that for all these 3 issues, a special pictorial cancellation was introduced, however, no official first day cover issued. Thus, philatelic enthusiasts have made their own copy of first day cover. However, through all my years of exploring, I could not find any nicely printed cachet for this issue. All 3 kinds of cover I found was just blank cover design using the booklet skin.

"Turtle FDC - Pulau Pinang version"

Pulau penang version is very nicely made using the booklet skin pasted on the face of the FDC (unlike the KL version which is pasted at the back of the cover). However, it has no full set of 10v turtle stamps.

"Turtle FDC - Melaka version"

As you can see from above, the Melaka version is the simplest among all.

1981 Chinwoo Exhibition

1981 Chinwoo Stamp Exhibition

"Exhition Cover"

"Exhibition Invitation Card - Front"

"Exhibition Invitation Card - Back"

"Invitation Card - 1st page"

"Invitation Card - 2nd page"

Sometime, stamp exhibition are organised by the non philatelic association. For this case, the 1981 Chin Woo Stamp Exhibition was organised by the Persatuan Sukan Chinwoo Selangor (Chin Woo Athletic Association. This was pretty unusual. My guess was that someone in the Chin Woo Association was also a stamp fanatic.

The Chinwoo association has been very supportive in promoting stamp collecting. For instance, the recent Penang Philatelic stamp Fair from 15 - 16 December 2007 was also held in Penang Ladies Chin Woo Athletic Association, Anson Road.

"Chin Woo Emblem"

For the Chinese, when we heard about the word Chin Woo, we would most probably think about Kung Fu or Wu Shu.

The Chin Woo Association (formed in 1915) is a Chinese cultural association that oversees a number of sports and activities, mostly, but not entirely of Chinese origin. Since it's beginning, through to the present day, the pride that the Chinese have in their culture has been reflected by its huge membership and its striving for excellence. Like for example the British Amateur Sports association it controls, regulates and encourages the continuation of participation in the activities that it supports.

Originally based in China encouraging wushu - Chinese martial arts - only, it now covers many continents with branches in many parts of China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, England, Australia, U.S.A, Russia and many other countries, organising a huge spectrum of activities. Activities such as wushu, Chinese calligraphy, painting, music, dancing, cuisine, and many others of of Chinese origin are practised and taught under the Chin Woo in Asia as well as other parts of the world. Additionally the huge variety of more Western type activities and sports in Asian countries including tennis, basketball and football are almost entirely organised by the Chin Woo, which is the case in Malaysia where the Chin Woo is particularly well established.

The Chin Woo was officially founded in 1915 by the students of a wushu shi fu, a Master and teacher of wushu called Huo Yean Jia (there is even a movie about him starring Jet Li). However although officially founded by these students it was this Huo himself whose work really established it and is recognised as the true founder. The Chin woo having been founded on the spirit of a martial art represents a great pride in all things Chinese. Martial arts as the name suggests have developed from methods of war, strategy or technique be it armed or unarmed, and war is ofter waged on external forces, thereby accentuating national feeling. The timing of the Chin Woo's birth is also of no coincidence. It was born out of two centuries of desperation and low moral for China, who had been humiliated, attacked, invaded conquered by a number of foreign powers, which is immensely degrading for any country, more so for a proud one with a history of being the "Emperor of Asia".

You could search the web for more information about this association.

Lastly, I thank this association in their effort in promoting philately.

1972 Stampex

1972 Silver Jubilee Stampex

"Type A"

The above is a souvenir card issued for the Silver Jubilee Stamp Exhibition held at National Museum from 9 September to 24 September 1972. The front of the souvenir card shows Malaysia flag with a printed "Leaping Tiger" $2 stamp. The back of the card shows a hibiscus, Malaysia national flowers.

Official exhibition cancellation for Silver Jubilee Stampex

"Type B"

For this exhibition, 2 type of exhibition cards were issued. One was with the tag "Dikelolakan oleh: Persatuan Setem Malaysia (Philatelic Society of Malaysia)" (see Type B) while the other is without (see Type A). Both souvenir cards are different in size (the on with the tag is longer).

I have a full set of this souvenir card with each day cancellation. From 9 sept - 13 Sept, it is canceled with "F" cancellation while from 14 Sept - 24 Sept it is a normal cancellation (see Type B).

My set show that 9 Sept - 17 Sept are Type A card and 18 Sept - 24 Sept are type B card. It could be that Type A cards were sold out and thus Type B were printed to replenish the stock.

1970 Sarawak Exhibition

1970 Sarawak Philatelic Society First Postage Stamp Exhibition

Malaysia has many individual philatelic society which actively promotes stamp collecting within a particular state or area. The society which I know off are Philatelic Society of Malaysia or PSM (formally known as Selangor Stamp Society), Penang Philatelic Society, Sarawak Philatelic Society, Perak Philatelic and Numismatic Society etc. Some of these philatelic society may not be even exist anymore. However, the commemorative exhibition covers issued by them for stamp exhibition has always been my interest in stamp collecting.

The cover shown above are to commemorate the first philatelic exhibition by the Sarawak Philatelic Society. This exhibition was held from 30th May to 1st June in 1970 (3 days) at Fuchou Associations Sibu.

I have been trying to get more information about this society online but in vain. Any of the readers who are a members or have knowledge about this philatelic society are welcome to share it with me.

However, I do come across a interesting website about Sarawak stamps at http://sarawakstamps.com/default.aspx.