Com.314 The World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Commemorative Issue

Issue date 2009-07-16 Sheet composition 16（4 × 4） Printer Cardon Enterprise Co., Ltd. Dimension of stamps(mm.) 50 × 30（公釐） Paper Phosphorescent stamp paper Dimension of complete set (mm.) 155 × 85（公釐） Print color Colorful Perforation 12 Process Deep etch offset Back Drawer Designer Hung-tu Ko Photographer Engraver Creative Director Suspersion date

Com.314.1 1,200,000 Com.314.2 1,200,000 Com.314.3 900,000

Description

The first world games were held in Santa Clara, USA in 1981. The subsequent games were hosted by London, England; Karlsruhe, Germany; the Hague in the Netherlands; Lahti, Finland; Akita, Japan; and Duisburg, Germany. The eighth World Games will be held in Kaohsiung from July 16 to 26, 2009. To commemorate this grand sporting event, Chunghwa Post issued a set of two stamps and a souvenir sheet featuring the Kaohsiung Arena and the Main Stadium for the World Games. The designs of the stamps follow: 1. Kaohsiung Arena (NT$5.00): This modernistic gym is equipped with standard Olympic facilities, making it a great venue for basketball and volleyball games as well as 200-meter races in indoor track and field. On the lower right of the stamp are the mascots of the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung: Kao Mei and Syong Ge. Dressed in red and blue respectively, these “water spirit” babies have a water drop for a head. Their bodies will light up after absorbing solar energy with the little spheres on their heads. The design reflects a concern for international issues such as green energy and environmental protection. 2. The Main Stadium for the World Games (NT$12.00): The Main Stadium was built to the standards of an IAAF (the International Association of Athletics Federations) Class I certified international sports stadium. The open-air design does away with the need for air conditioning. This avant-garde architecture will be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung. On the lower right of the stamp is the games’ logo — a stylized Chinese character Kao (as in Kaohsiung), “written” in a colorful and rhythmic flowing ribbon, resembling the beautiful shapes of athletes in competition. The design aims to convey the concepts of “harmony, friendship, rhythm, flight, progress and joy.”

By-issues

(1) First Day Cover to be sold at NT$ 2.00 apiece. (2) First Day Cover in large size to be sold at NT$ 3.00 apiece. (3) Folder especially prepared for the stamps to be sold at NT$ 5.00 apiece. (4) Folder with crystal mount for better protection of the stamps to be sold at NT$ 5.00 apiece. (5) Folder with crystal mount for better protection of a souvenir sheet stamps to be sold at NT$ 8.00 apiece. (6) Loose-leaf stamp album page with plastic cover to be sold at NT$ 16.00 apiece. (7) Maximum cards to be sold at NT$25.00 a set. (8) Pre-cancelled First Day Cover affixed with one NT$5.00-denominated stamp to be sold at NT$ 7.00 apiece. (9) Pre-cancelled First Day Cover affixed with a complete set of stamps to be sold at 19.00 apiece. (10) Pre-cancelled First Day Cover affixed with a souvenir sheet to be sold at NT$ 20.00 apiece. (11) Pre-cancelled maximum cards to be sold at NT$42.00 a set. (12) Stamp folio to be sold at NT$100.00 apiece. To purchase the relative philatelic products, please go directly to the post office branches, or order on line at http://stamp.post.gov.tw.