Commemorative 257 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Postal Service Commemorative Issue (1996)

　　The Chinese Postal Service (CPS) was opened to the general public in 1896, and on March 20,1996 it reached its 100th anniversary. To celebrate this historically significant event, this Directorate issued a set of four stamps depicting mailboxes, measurement instruments. mail carriers, and weighing instruments. A souvenir sheet ( 78 × 102mm.)consisting of the four stamps was also issued. The design of these stamps is the winning entry from Arthur Lee in a stamp design competition held for this special event.

　　The years from March 20, 1896 ( Kwang Hsu the 22nd Year. February 7th), when the CPS was formed, to 1911, when the Republic of China was founded. form an important period during which the Chinese Postal Service not only laid a solid foundation for the postal services, but also paved the way for the future stable development of the industry. In the period from early 1911 to the Sino Japanese War, the CPS continued to grow in spite of the fact that the existence of the nation was in danger. After the national government moved to Taiwan, the CPS kept improving its　operation and service, hoping to meet the needs of the general public and help state run business to　develop a good image.

　　In recent years, due to the rapid growth of the national economy and drastic changes in　the social structure, the operating conditions for CPS are not the same as they were before. The traditional dominance held in the past is threatened by such serious challenges as the advance of new technology in tele-communications, the rise of the private mail delivery companies, and keen competition in the insurance and banking sectors. To keep pace with society, the CPS is now, under the new image of reliance, warmth, efficiency, and innovation, very active in changing its ways ot operation, re-setting its management system, accelerating its automation process, and upgrading its quality of service.