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Following is the speech by the Acting Postmaster General, Mr Tsang Kwok-lam, at the Issuing Ceremony of "Miniature Landscapes" Special Stamps today (July 17):

Miss Choi, distinguished guests and friends from the media,

Welcome to the issuing ceremony of the "Miniature Landscapes" Special Stamps. We are much honored to have Miss Choi Suk Kuen, Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Culture), to officiate at today's ceremony.

Miniature landscape, by its very name, is the art of re-creating beautiful natural scenery in reduced scale. With ingenious use of vertical and horizontal placement of branches skillfully pruned, shaped and trained into the desired shape, the artists have their sensibilities echoed in these small worlds of wonder that delight the eyes.

Miniature landscape and stamp are two seemingly incomparable things, given that one is a three-dimensional pot plant, and the other is a two-dimensional printed matter. But the fact is they have more in common than meet the eyes. First, both of them challenge one's ability to execute complex ideas within limited space. The ingenious enthusiasts of miniature landscapes set out to capture and reverberate the eternal rhythm of the universe in small pots or trays, while stamp designers strive to contain rich history and culture knowledge in the tiny space the stamp allowed. Second, the design of both miniature landscapes and stamps transcend above mere form and composition, and have the complex pattern of interwoven contrasts of bright and subdued colours carefully orchestrated.

I am not knowledgeable enough to speak about miniature landscapes as we are surrounded by masters today. But when it comes to stamps, I am in my elements. Hongkong Post has always been upholding innovation as one of our values. Over the years, we have brought philatelists an incessant supply of original stamp products, which include stamps that you can colour on, stamps that give you the tactile touch of rocks, stamps that carry the exquisite aroma of Chinese tea, and even stamps that are printed on flock paper. These are bold attempts and we learn from the experiences that there is no boundary in the realm of innovation. It can be approached laterally, like incorporating brave ideas of graphic designs, or vertically, like using materials or technology never seen before, only the sky is the limit.

All in all, stamps and miniature landscapes are ideal pastimes for city dwellers like most Hong Kong people in the sense that not only do they relieve us of the pressure of daily life, they make our lives richer and fuller.

Hongkong Post is proud to present this set of "Miniature Landscapes" special stamps, which esthetically blends the best of both worlds. I would like to take this opportunity to express our hearty thanks to Mr L.M. Wu, Mr Y.F. Lau, and Ms C.Y. Wong for lending us their collections for the purpose of designing the stamps. Last but not least, I must thank Dr K.L. Yip, Conservation Officer (Flora) of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, for providing the information about the classes of plants featured on the stamps.

Thank you.

End/Thursday, July 17, 2003

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