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The Postmaster General, Mr Allan Chiang, announced today (April 8) that a new stamp sheetlet, "Mainland Scenery Series No 3: The Chen Clan Academy, Guangzhou", will be issued on May 6.

This is the third stamp sheetlet of the Mainland Scenery series issued by Hongkong Post. The sheetlet depicts the Chen Clan Academy in Guangzhou, which houses the Guangdong Folk Art Museum showcasing handicrafts and folk art of the region. It is an architectural masterpiece of the 19th century famed for its intricate traditional folk art carvings.

A new $10 stamp forming part of the sheetlet design focuses on the academy's ornamental doors. The stamp sheetlet is designed by Mr Michael Fung and printed in lithography by Joh Enschede BV of the Netherlands.

Information about associated philatelic products of this issue and the sales restrictions starting from May 6 are as follows:

Product: Stamp Sheetlet

Unit Selling Price: $10

Sales Restriction Per Customer: 20 sheets

Product: Presentation Pack (with 1 stamp sheetlet)

Unit Selling Price: $18

Sales Restriction Per Customer: 5 packs

Product: Serviced First Day Cover affixed with 1 stamp sheetlet (only available at 39 philatelic offices on May 6, 2004)

Unit Selling Price: $13.50

Sales Restriction Per Customer: 5 covers

The stamp sheetlet will be displayed at the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Shatin Central Post Office from April 15. Official First Day Covers at $1 each will be put on sale at all post offices on the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided souvenir covers will be accepted at all post offices from April 15 to 21.

Handback datestamping services will be provided at all post offices on May 6 for official and privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. A special postmark will also be introduced.

The GPO-1 postmark, the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmarks will also be available for handback datestamping service at all philatelic offices on that day.

On May 6, the public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau will open from 9am to 5pm for datestamping covers with the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark, the GPO-1 postmark as well as the special postmark.

Ends/Thursday, April 8, 2004

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