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Professor Tsui, distinguished guests, friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen,
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¡@¡@Good morning. Welcome to the issuing ceremony of "The 140th Anniversary of the Birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen" special stamps held in the University of Hong Kong (HKU). We all know that Dr. Sun was among the first graduates of the College of Medicine for Chinese, Hong Kong, which was the predecessor of HKU Faculty of Medicine. We are delighted to be back here at HKU and particularly honoured to have Professor Tsui, the Vice-Chancellor, to officiate for us; hence, giving the stamp launch extra meaning.
¡@¡@Dr. Sun devoted himself to the cause of leading China into a new epoch. He is our national hero whose revolutionary crusade is recorded in history. As the year 2006 marks his 140th birth anniversary, a series of celebrations are held in many places of China as well as the two special administrative regions. To pay our tribute to this great man, a set of stamps is issued to remind us of the massive accomplishments of his revolutionary life.
¡@¡@Dr. Sun was closely related to Hong Kong both as a student and a young revolutionary. The four commemorative stamps in this set give a glimpse into his life by presenting some of his portraits at different ages. The stamps also incorporate calligraphy by Dr. Sun which proclaims his revolutionary ideal that "the World belongs to the People". The background of the sheetlet shows the map of the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail which covers the places he frequented in his early life during his sojourn in Hong Kong. The trail is a vehicle of connection; it is in these historic footprints that anyone interested can follow. The bust of Dr. Sun shown on the first day cover is the picture of an exhibit at the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum, the first museum in Hong Kong to be dedicated solely to a historic figure.
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¡@¡@Before I go, may I take this opportunity to thank HKU, the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Central and Western District Council. I am obliged to say that today's stamp issue would not have been successfully released without the rare pictures and valuable documents that you kindly shared with us. Thank you.
Ends/Sunday, November 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:57
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