A journey of stamps through First Day Cover (FDC)

Berries FDC from TAIWAN

2012-01-27T17:35:00.000+05:30

FDC Name:Berries
Issue Date:12th JAN'2012
Details:

Chunghwa Post is issuing a series of definitive stamps to introduce Taiwan’s berry plants. This first set features Actinidia callosa, Synsepalum dulcificum, Solanum americanum and Solanum verbascifolium. The designs follow:
1. Actinidia callosa (NT$3.50): This climbing shrub is found on mountain slopes in low to middle elevations. It has elliptical to ovate leaves with dentate margins. Its flowers are white. Its round berries, about three centimeters in diameter, are covered with lenticels and fuzzy mustard-colored hair. The berries are edible.
2. Synsepalum dulcificum (NT$5.00): This tropical evergreen shrub is commonly known as miracle fruit. In Taiwan, the species is found only in cultivation. It has oblanceolate to obovate leaves with undulate margins and small white flowers. Its oval berries are two to three centimeters long and one centimeter in diameter. Green when they first appear, the berries turn bright red when mature. The berries are edible.
3. Solanum americanum (NT$12.00): Commonly known as American nightshade, this native is found in plains and hills at low to middle elevations. This herbaceous plant can be annual or perennial. It has ovate leaves with entire or dentate margins and white or lavender flowers. Its round berries are green at first and turn shiny dark purple when they mature. The fruit are edible.
4. Solanum verbascifolium (NT$25.00): This evergreen shrub can be found on plains, on mountain slopes at low elevations, and on islands off of Taiwan proper. The plant is densely covered with mustard colored star-shaped fuzz. Its leaves range from ovate, to lanceolate, to elliptical, and it has white flowers. Its round berries, which are green at first and turn orange yellow when mature, are borne in clusters at the tips of its branches. The berries are inedible.
The stamp was design by Hung-tu Ko

Remark:Thanks Chen for sending this FDC posted on the issue date by registered post.As the total amount of the set is less for international postage to India,he has put additional cost in label.This make the FDC beautiful .

Chess Postage Stamps From New Gibraltar

2012-01-26T13:07:00.000+05:30

Stamp Name:Chess

Details:

Gibraltar Post is issuing a set of stamps dedicated to the Gibraltar Chess festival 10th Anniversary.The Gibraltar International Chess Festival, now one of the most prestigious open tournaments in the world, began as a much smaller event in 2003. Its popularity has grown year on year, and today well over 300 participants, players of all levels, return to the Rock every January, many calling Gibraltar their favourite event on the chess calendar. For eleven days the festival venue, the Caleta Hotel, is transformed into a hive of chess activity.

In a separate development, the first Gibraltar International Junior Chess Festival took place in August, 2011. Children from the UK, Spain, and Gibraltar took part. Over the past decade, thanks to a dedicated teaching programme, many hundreds of children in Gibraltar have received chess tuition at school. One young Gibraltarian, Stephen Whatley, has scored notable tournament successes in the UK, while several other young local players show similar promise, with more juniors keen to follow.

The games featured on the stamps have been specially chosen as representing the best of the many thousands contested in Gibraltar over the past decade. All the players shown are grandmasters. Two are women. Pia Cramling (Sweden) has played in all ten Gibraltar festivals, while Natalia Zhukova (Ukraine) won the top female award in 2010. Michael Adams, Nigel Short (both England) and Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) are all former Gibraltar champions. Viktor Bologan (Moldova) and Fabiano Caruana (Italy) are elite players with aggressive styles popular with the public. Chess legend Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) fought two World Championship matches with arch-rival Anatoly Karpov.(source-Stamp News)

Iranian Native Owls(Birds of Prey) Stamps

2012-01-26T12:49:00.000+05:30

Stamp Name:Iranian Native Owls

Details:

On 14 December 2011, Iran Post in cooperation with Iranian Environment Organization & World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released a series of commemorative stamps featuring four species of native Iranian owls. The stamps show: long-eared owl, Pallid scops owl, Brown Fish-owl, spotted owlet. The designer is Mr. Dehghan.

Birds of Prey Postage Stamps from USA

2012-01-24T16:48:00.001+05:30

Stamp Name:Birds of Prey

Details:

The U.S. Postal Service salutes five kings of the sky with the Birds of Prey stamps: the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and northern harrier (Circus cyaneus).

These powerful birds are depicted in colorful portraits and shown from the neck up. The artwork appears against a plain, white background.

Illustrator Robert Giusti worked with art director Howard E. Paine on this issuance. Giusti painted the original designs in acrylic on canvas board. The "Birds of Prey" stamps are being issued in self-adhesive sheets of 20 at an 85-cent denomination, which is the price for single-piece retail First-Class Mail weighing more than two ounces and up to and including three ounces.

Aloha shirts postage stamps from USA

2012-01-23T20:30:00.000+05:30

Stamp Name:Aloha shirts
Details:

Nothing says "Hawai'i" or conjures casual good times like the colorful Aloha shirt, which takes its name from the Hawaiian word often used as a blessing or greeting. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the spirit of "Aloha" with five Aloha Shirts stamps, each depicting a different shirt.

Aloha shirts are made from boldly patterned fabric showing decorative images of Hawaiian life. Two of the five classic shirts depicted in the stamp art showcase surfers and their boards; one shows fossil fish, shells, and sea stars; another shows a tropical flower known as the bird of paradise; and one shows Kilauea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Some commentators have traced the "casual Friday" custom observed in America's mainland offices to Hawai'i, where Aloha shirts were first worn to work on Friday. The shirts, which have a straight lower hem and are worn hanging loosely over the trousers rather than tucked in, are now widely considered acceptable business attire in the 50th state, where the climate can make a suit and tie uncomfortable.

Art director Carl Herrman designed these stamps using photos by Ric Noyle.

These stamps were issued on January 19, at the postcard rate.(source-Stamp News)

20th Anniversary of Establishing Diplomatic Relations between Belarus and China Souvenir sheet from BELARUS

2012-01-23T20:23:00.003+05:30

Name of Stamp:20th Anniversary of Establishing Diplomatic Relations between Belarus and China.

Details:

On January 20, 2012 Belarus has issued the souvenir sheet entitled "20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People's Republic of China".

The Agreement about establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries was signed in Beijing on January 20, 1992. During these years the Belarusian-Chinese relations have become a model of international partnership and strategic interaction.

The stamp features the national Emblems of the Nations; the souvenir sheet's background features an aurochs and a panda - animals-symbols of the countries.(Source-Stamp News)

NAKUUSA Stamps from GREENLAND

2012-01-20T15:17:00.000+05:30

Stamp Name:NAKUUSA

Details:

Greenland's Home Rule (Naalakkersuisut) and Unicef Danmark have started a collaboration on the project "NAKUUSA" ("Let us be strong"). Camilla Nielsen has drawn the humorous stamp, which is also issued as a souvenir sheet.

Nina Spore Kreutzmann has once again created two beautiful designs of Greenlandic herbs, this time with Northern Bilberry and Labrador tea. The series, which began in 2011, consists of a total of six stamps of which the last two will be issued in 2013.

In 1962 Knud Rasmussen's Folk High School was founded in Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg). The beautiful design, which marks the 50th anniversary of the folk high school and its great importance to Greenland, was drawn by its former student Miki Rasmussen.

Jessie Kleemann, Frederik "Kunngi" Kristensen and the cooperative partners Inuk Silis Hoegh and Asmund Havsteen-Mikkelsen are the artists who created the three works of art, which make up the sixth part of the "Contemporary Greenlandic Art" series. The three stamps were issued in a stylish souvenir folder with presentations of the individual artists and their other works. In addition, the artwork of Inuk Silis Hoegh and Asmund Havsteen-Mikkelsen was issued as a souvenir sheet.(Source-Stampnews)

Owney the Postal Dog FDC from USA

2012-01-19T14:09:00.001+05:30

FDC Name:Owney the Postal Dog
Issue Date:27th JULY'2011
Details:

Commemorating the unofficial mascot of the Railway Mail Service and an icon of Postal lore, this envelope carries an affixed Owney the Postal Dog (Forever®) stamp and a First Day of Issue postmark.The stamp design features an illustration of Owney against a gleaming background of some of his famous tags and medals. The First Day of Issue postmark includes the date and location of the stamp issue: July 27, 2011, Washington, DC 20066.(Source-USA Post)

Remark:Many thanks to Renate H Thompson, Managing & Membership Director CCCC for sending this nice FDC to me.

Ascension Island's Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II stamps

2012-01-19T13:24:00.000+05:30

Stamp Name:Ascension Island's Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II stamps

Details:

To celebrate 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II as Monarch of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the seas, the Ascension Island Post Office is releasing a new stamp issue.

Each stamp features a charming portrait of Her Majesty. The stamps which are diamond shaped will be issued as a set of six with denominations 15p, 25p, 35p, 40p, 60p and £1.25p each printed in sheet-lets of eight with decorative borders.

The same stamps will appear in a diamond shaped miniature sheet with two additional labels with face value of £3.00.

There will also be a single souvenir sheet containing a large diamond shaped stamp with denomination of £2.00p.(Source-Stampnews)

For the Welfare 2012 stamp series from Germany

2012-01-18T14:42:00.000+05:30

Stamp Name: For the Welfare 2012

Details:

The German Post celebrates the new 2012 year by the issuance of the welfare stamps featuring precious stones - a sapphire, an emerald and a ruby.

The term "precious stone" has been always associated to the idea of something precious, unique, mysterious, mystical and imperishable. Each natural stone is unique by its color, clarity, cut, brilliance, weight and rarity.

This series is sold with an extra amount in favor of voluntary welfare(Source-Stampnews)

Real Posted FDC

2012-01-17T16:18:00.003+05:30

Dear friends & viewers

I have tried since 2007 to limit my blog to real posted FDC.But it became very difficult to get these FDC from other countries even from my own country.Most of such FDC are damaged by India Post personal so it became unattractive for blog posting.More than 50% of posting of India FDC were damaged in my own city postal personal.They were ill trained to handle such philatelic items.I have made several complain to higher authority but all went to dustbin & no action has been taken.

Now I have decided to post different items like cover & other interesting philatelic items in my blog due to lack of sufficient real posted FDC.

I hope all of you will support me in my new avatar.

Thanks

FDC from AUSTRIA

2012-01-15T14:14:00.002+05:30

Issue Date:20th DEC'2011.
Remark:Thanks Gunter Seiler for sending this self made Christmas FDC with nice first day cancellation on the issue date.

FDC from ARGENTINA

2012-01-15T13:44:00.000+05:30

Issue Date:29th OCT'2011
Details:Representative pictorial illustration of the Magi following the star to Bethlehem to the birth of the Child.
Stamp size:35 x 50 mm
Remark:Thanks Viviana for sending this FDC.Please vist Vivina blog http://filateliaparaelmundo.blogspot.com

National Children's Day 2012 stamps from Thailand

2012-01-15T13:26:00.000+05:30

The Thai Post has launched a set of stamps to traditionally celebrate the National Children's Day.

National Children's Day was held for the first time on the first Monday of October 1955 and continued like this until 1963. Then it was shifted to the second Saturday of January.

In 2012 National Children's Day is celebrated on Saturday, 14 January. Different activities and events will take place nationwide. Chiang Mai Municipality, for example, will be holding free events with games and other activities at the Municipal Stadium, while the Chiang Mai Zoo offers free entrance to children under 135 cm. Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall and Central Airport Plaza will host various activities including Panyaden School and NARIT, the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand. Wing41 lets children in to meet Air Force officers and climb aboard jets. Royal Flora Ratchaphruek will hold educational activities, games and music shows at their Kids Eco-Park.(Source-Stampnews)

100th Anniversary of the Alishan Forest Railway minitature sheet registered post FDC from TAIWAN

2012-01-10T17:45:00.000+05:30

FDC Name:100th Anniversary of the Alishan Forest Railway
Issue Date:25th DEC'2011

Details:Alishan, with its beautiful natural scenery and rich ecological resources, is a world famous tourist destination. The Beimen to Erwanping section of Alishan Forest Railway officially opened to traffic on December 25, 1912. Along with the mountain’s sacred trees, sunrise, sunset, and sea of clouds, the railway is one of the “Five Wonders of Alishan.” The Alishan Forest Railway was once a very busy train track because of logging on the mountain. With changes to Taiwan’s economic structure, the railway’s role has shifted from a transporter of lumber to a cultural asset with its scenic spots and historical architecture dating from a century ago. To mark the 100th Anniversary of the opening of the railway, Chunghwa Post has issued a souvenir sheet with two stamps on December 25, 2011.

The souvenir sheet has a bright color scheme with mountains and a route map in the background. Four different trains are featured. One of the two stamps features one train pulled by a No.31 steam engine passing through flowering cherry trees (NT$25); and the other, headed by a diesel engine, is coming out of the No.1 tunnel (NT$5). Elsewhere on the sheet there is a train on the No.13 Bridge over the Niuchou River and a train being pulled by the No. 25 steam engine. With its images of trains traversing the forest, the sheet is imbued with a great sense of dynamism. The beautiful golden emblem on the upper left corner signifies the railway’s glorious service over the last hundred years.

The souvenir sheet is designed by Mr. Tseng Kai-chih and printed by China Color Printing Co., Ltd. in offset.

Remark:Thanks Chen for sending this beautiful miniature sheet FDC by registered post.

30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STRIKE IN THE HIGHER MILITARY SCHOOL OF FIRE SERVICE IN WARSAW FDC from POLAND

2011-12-29T13:37:00.000+05:30

FDC Name:30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STRIKE IN THE HIGHER MILITARY SCHOOL OF FIRE SERVICE IN WARSAW.

Issue Date:2nd DEC'2011

Details:

author: Maciej Jędrysik
number of stamps: 1 in form of block
denomination: PLN 4.15
print run: 400.000
printing technique: offset
stamp size: 31,25 x 43 mm
block size: 70 x 90 mm
paper: fluorescent

Remark:Thanks Andrzej for sending this miniature sheet FDC after long time.I hope we will have good exchange in the year 2012.May The Year 2012 Bring for You, Happiness,Success and filled with Peace,Hope & Togetherness of your Family & Friends....Wishing You a... Happy New Year-2012.

Merry Christmas from INDIA

2011-12-25T13:13:00.000+05:30

Merry Christmas to All

Opening of the 16th Asian Games FDC from CHINA

2011-12-18T12:46:00.000+05:30

FDC Name:Opening of the 16th Asian Games
Issue Date:12th NOV'2010

Technical Details:

Serial number: 2010-27
Values in set: 6
Denomination: 8.60 yuan
Date of issue: November 12, 2010
Size of stamp: 30 * 50 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition: 16 for Sheet I; 12 for Sheet II (two sets)
Size of sheet: 150 * 240 mm for Sheet I; 210 * 160 mm for Sheet II
Designer of stamp: Shang Ying
Editor in Charge: Dong Yan
Printing process: photogravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House
The details of six stamps are as follows
1.Badminton -1.20yuan
2.Wushu　　-1.20yuan
3.Athletics　 -1.20yuan
4.Equestrian　 -1.20yuan
5.Dragon Boat-1.20yuan
6.Weiqi　　 -1.20yuan
Remark:Thanks Fan for sending this self made FDC by registered post on the issue date.

World Book Day FDC from CHINA

2011-12-17T19:54:00.000+05:30

FDC Name:World Book Day
Issue Date:23-04-2011

Technical Details:

Serial number: 2011-7
Values in set: 1
Denomination: 1.20 yuan
Date of issue: April 23, 2011
Size of stamp: 40 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 12
Size of sheet: 170 * 160 mm
Designer of stamp: Hao Ou
Editor in Charge: Tong Liying
Printing process: offset
Printer: Shenyang Posts and Telecommunications Printing House, Liaoning Province

Remark:Though it is difficult to get FDC from Fan Ming who is great real posted FDC collector & sender.For last few months I am not receiving any FDC from him but this FDC I have received from him in the month of MAY.Thanks Fan for sending this FDC by registered post.

New Year’s Greeting(Year of Dragon) FDC from TAIWAN

2011-12-15T13:43:00.000+05:30

FDC Name:New Year’s Greeting
Issue date:1st DEC'2011

Details:

To welcome the Chinese New Year of the Dragon, Chunghwa Post has issued a set of two New Year’s Greeting Postage Stamps (Issue of 2011) and a souvenir sheet featuring the upcoming year’s animal sign. The two stamps have denominations of NT$3.50 and NT$13.00, and the souvenir sheet has a denomination of NT$12.00.

Continuing the pop modern art and traditional Chinese ink-wash styles of the 2010 issue, the vignette of each of the stamps features a dragon or dragons colored with regal purple and nature’s green against an orange background with random yellow splatters. The bright color scheme brings a joyous atmosphere to the Year of the Dragon. The designs follow:

1. NT$3.50 Stamp: Staring into each other’s eyes, this pair of dragons represents the idea of “belonging to each other” and symbolizes that “all one’s wishes will come true.”

2. NT$13.00 Stamp: Holding its head up high and ready to spring into action, the image of this dragon represents “pride” and symbolizes “joy and good health.”

3. NT$12.00 Souvenir Sheet: The image of a proud dragon soaring in the sky conveys the idea of “promotion” and “success.”

This set of stamps features the work of Chen Peiyi, who won a competition to design the stamps. They are printed by China Color Printing Co., Ltd. in color offset.

Remark: Thanks ShChin Chen for sending two FDC on the issue date by registered post.It is a point to be note that, there is two different size for stamps & miniature sheet FDC.Where as India Post never do this so the bigger Miniature sheet in the most of the case never fit into the FDC.

I have analyzed the stamps issued by India Post in the year-2011 to till date & found that more than 50 % of the stamps issued were on personalities.

Christmas, 2011 FDC from LATVIA

2011-12-15T13:09:00.001+05:30

FDC Name:Christmas, 2011

Issue date: 2nd DEC'2011

Details: A set of two stamps was issued for Christmas 2011 Printed at "Baltic notes".The details are as follows

1.Face value (Lt): 0.60

Mākslnieks Ludis Danilāne

Print run of 300,000

2.Face value (Lt): 0.35
Mākslnieks Ludis Danilāne
Print run of 2,000,000

Remark:Thanks Juris fro sending this year my 1st Christmas FDC.Wish you a Happy & prospers Christmas.

Struve Geodetic Arc FDC from LATVIA

2011-12-07T13:12:00.001+05:30

FDC Name:Struve Geodetic Arc.
Issue Date:5th MAY'2011

Details:

The stamp block Struve Geodetic Arc, designed by artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja, includes two stamps with a face value of LVL 0.35 (corresponds to the cost of mailing a regular letter within Latvia) and LVL 0.55 (corresponds to the cost of mailing a regular letter to a European Union member state). The print run of the stamp block: 70,000.

The new stamp block shows the path of the Struve Geodetic Arc through ten countries, highlighting Latvia's geodetic points Jēkabpils and Sestukalns. These sites are not only parts of the national geodetic chain, but also notable cultural monuments.

Along with the release of the stamp block in Latvia, other countries - Finland, Sweden, Estonia - will also issue stamps on the same subject. Stamps depicting the Struve Geodetic Arc have already been released by the neighboring Lithuania, as well as Moldova and Ukraine. The Struve Geodetic Arc was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005.

The Arc, stretching 2822 km through ten countries from the coast of the Arctic Ocean in Norway to the mouth of River Danube at the Black Sea, reminds about the international geodetic surveying works organized by the astronomer F. V. G. Struve in the beginning of the 19^th century. They significantly influenced the course of development of science and helped establish the exact size and shape of the Earth.

Remark:Thanks Juris for sending this beautiful miniature sheet FDC of UNESCO World heritage list.

100th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia FDC issued on 11-11-11

2011-12-04T11:46:00.001+05:30

FDC Name:100^th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia
Issue Date:11-11-11

Details:Latvia (Latvian: Latvija), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (border length 343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), to the southeast by Belarus (141 km) and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden. With 2,229,641 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km² (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. The capital of Latvia is Riga, the official language Latvian and the currency Lats (Ls). The country has a temperate seasonal climate.

The Latvians are a Baltic people, culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians. Together with the Finno-Ugric Livs (or Livonians), the Latvians are the indigenous people of Latvia.Latvian is an Indo-European language and along with Lithuanian the only two surviving members of the Baltic branch. Indigneous minority languages are Latgalian and the nearly extinct Finno-Ugric Livonian language. In terms of geography, territory and population Latvia is the middle of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia share a long common history: historical Livonia, times of German, Polish-Lithuanian, Swedish, Russian, Nazi German and Soviet rule, 13th century Christianization and 16th century Protestant Reformation. Both countries are home to a large number of ethnic Russians (27.3% in Latvia and 26% in Estonia) of whom some are non-citizens. Latvia is historically predominantly Protestant, except for the region of Latgalia in the southeast which is historically predominantly Roman Catholic.

Latvia is a unitary parliamentary republic and is divided into 118 administrative divisions of which 109 municipalities and 9 cities. There are five planning regions: Courland (Kurzeme), Latgalia (Latgale), Riga (Rīga), Vidzeme and Zemgale. The Republic of Latvia was founded on November 18, 1918. It was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union between 1940–1941 and 1945–1991 and by Nazi Germany between 1941-1945. The peaceful "Singing Revolution" between 1987 and 1991 and "Baltic Chain" demonstration on August 23, 1989 led to the independence of the Baltic states. Latvia declared the restoration of its de facto independence on August 21, 1991.

Latvia is a member of the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, IMF and WTO, and is part of the Schengen Area. It was a member of the League of Nations (1921–1946) and the Baltic Free Trade Area (1994–2004). Latvia is also a member of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and Nordic Investment Bank, and is together with Estonia and Lithuania involved in trilateral Baltic States cooperation and Nordic-Baltic cooperation.

After economic stagnation in the early 1990s, Latvia posted Europe-leading GDP growth figures during 1998–2006. In the global financial crisis of 2008–2010 Latvia was the hardest hit of the European Union member states, with a GDP decline of 26.54% in that period.However by 2010 commentators noted signs of stabilisation in the Latvian economy.The United Nations lists Latvia as a country with a Human Development Index (HDI) of "Very High"(Source-Wikipedia)
Three stamps were issued on 11-11-11 with FDC,These are

The Latvian Naval Forces - Ls 1.00
The first Latvian Naval School- Ls 0.60
The Latvian Naval Forces - Ls 0.35

Remark:Thanks Juris for sending the registered FDC on the issue date 11-11-11.The local and special cancellation is very clear.

75 years of Warrior's Cemetery monument Special Post Mark Cover from LATVIA

2011-11-28T16:21:00.001+05:30

FDC Name:75 years of Warrior's Cemetery monument
Issue Date:11-11-11
Remark:Thanks Juris for the nice official special cancellation cover posted on the issue date = 11-11-11

Railway Branch Lines FDC from Taiwan

2011-11-27T14:51:00.001+05:30

FDC Name:Railway Branch Lines.
Issue Date:12th NOV'2011

Details:Railway branch lines in Taiwan were originally built to serve specific industries, although they later also began to provide regular and economical passenger services for residents along the lines. After a century or so of operation, the branch lines went into decline due to economic transformation, the rise of highway transport, and the rapid development of cities. But in recent years, as people have demonstrated a greater demand for recreational opportunities, some of these branch lines reopened as heritage railways. Furthermore, in order to provide access to high-speed-rail stations, new branch lines have also been built.

In order to raise understanding about these railway branch lines, Chunghwa Post has issued a set of five stamps, printed in the format of a vertical Se-tenant strip, on November 12, 2011. The designs follow:

1. Shalun Branch Line (NT$5): This 6.52-kilometer branch line in Tainan runs between Zhongzhou Station and Shalun Station, where there is access to Taiwan High Speed Rail’s Tainan station. Aimed at better meeting the Tainan metropolitan area’s transportation needs by linking the high-speed rail line with traditional rail and the planned mass transit system, the building of the branch line required reconstructing the Zhongzhou Station and building two new elevated stations: the aforementioned Shalun Station and the Chang Jung Christian University Station. The line was completed and opened to traffic on January 2, 2011.

2. Jiji Branch Line (NT$5): This 29.7-kilometer branch line runs between Changhua’s Ershui Station and Nantou’s Checheng Station. Originally built for transporting building materials, the line would later carry regular passenger trains and freight trains. Today, it has been transformed into a tourist line. This branch line offers great scenic vistas. Its “green tunnels” is a tourist-worthy attraction. In April of 2010, the section between Longquan and Checheng was closed for tunnel renovations. On July 9, 2011, the project was completed, and the line was once again fully opened.

3. The Neiwan Branch Line (NT$12): This 29.9-kilometer branch line runs between Hsinchu Station and Neiwan Station. Originally built for the agriculture, logging, and mining industries, the line gradually shifted its focus to passenger service. There’s a plethora of natural beauty, cultural assets, and ecological resources along the way. In accordance with a plan to improve this line as well as the Liujia Branch Line, beginning in March of 2007, a section on the line between the Hsinchu and Zhudong stations was closed. It is scheduled to reopen on November 12, 2011.

4. Liujia Branch Line (NT$12): This 11.28-kilometer branch line runs between Hsinchu Station and Liujia Station. To meet the transportation needs in the area between Hsinchu and THSR’s Hsinchu Station in Liujia, the Taiwan Railways Administration has undertaken a project to connect its TRA system to the THSR. This project involves elevating the section between the Bei Hsinchu Station and Zhuzhong Station, a section to connect the Zhuzhong Station to the Liujia Station, and building five new stations. The line is expected to open on November 12, 2011.

5. Pingxi Branch Line (NT$15): This 12.9-kilometer branch line runs between Sandiaoling and Jingtong of New Taipei City. Originally a railroad built exclusively to ship coal, it was later for passenger and freight trains. The line boasts views of enchanting rural landscapes. The quaint old streets of the towns along the line, the old train stations, and folk customs such as the releasing of sky lanterns in Pingxi have all contributed to make this branch line a popular and unique tourist line.

Remark:Nice Se-tenant strip FDC posted by Chen on the First day by registered post.The FDC is larger in size to accommodate the 5 strip of stamps with very good railway cancellation.