Vietnam - Asean Joint Stamp Issue - 2007

2007 is a special year in the process of building one ASEAN community of peace, development and prosperousness.

In the past 40 years, ASEAN has made quite many changes of quality, style and content in co-operation. That makes it become a regional co-operative organization most successful in the world.

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of ASEAN’s foundation, on August 8, 2007, the Vietnam’s Ministry of informatics and communications (MIC) issued the stamp set “ASEAN joint stamp issue” consisting of 10 values of 800d each, presenting each monumental  building of ASEAN countries.

50th Anniv. of the diplomatic relationship between Việt Nam and Cuba

On 2 December 2010, the Vietnam Post issued the stamp series for celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and Cuba. The issue stamp only one  which depicts flags and the specific flora  of both countries.   The other issues are two official first day cover which depict logo of relationship of both countries.

The two first day covers  which have a special postmarked and logo of the relationship.

Vietnam-water puppetry at the World Expo 2000 USA.

Vietnam Post has issued the stamp series features their culture, Water puppetry, as commemorative stamp for their participation at the World  Expo USA 2000.
Water puppetry is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.

The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water. When the rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.

 

 

Modern water puppetry is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface being the stage. Performance today occurs on one of three venues—on traditional ponds in villages where a staging area has been set up, on portable tanks built for traveling performers, or in a specialized building where a pool stage has been constructed . Spotlights and colorful flags adorn the stage and create a festive atmosphere.

 
 

.

6-1: Little Tễu

The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg.Up to 8 puppeteers stand behind a split-bamboo screen, decorated to resemble a temple facade, and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water.

6-2: Fairy

A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. The instrumentation includes vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, Đàn bầu (monochord), gongs, and bamboo flutes. The bamboo flute's clear, simple notes may accompany royalty while the drums and cymbals may loudly announce a fire-breathing dragon's entrance.

 
6-3: Farmer working with harrow

In ancient Vietnam, the rural Vietnamese believed that spirits controlled all aspect of their lives, from the kitchen to the rice paddies. The Vietnamese devised water puppetry as a way to satisfy these spirits, and as a form of entertainment, using what natural medium they could find in their environment

 
 
 



6-4: Woman farmer

In ancient times, the ponds and flooded rice paddies after harvest were the stage for these impromptu shows.When the rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.

 
6-5: Drummer

Singers of chèo (a form of opera originating in north Vietnam) sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need.

 

 

 

 


6-6: Fisherman

The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. It tells of day-to-day living in rural Vietnam and Vietnamese folk tales that are told by grandparents to their grandchildren. Stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are highlighted.(Resources from Wikipedia).

Technorati Tags: World Expo 2000,USA,Vietnam,Water-puppetry

Vietnam - France Joint Issue -2008

 

On the fifth of October 2008, Vietnam and France have been jointly issued in the first time.The stamp series depicts the sceneries of Ha Long bay (in Vietnam) and Bouches de Bonifacio (in France).

Value (2-1): Bouches de Bonifacio in France. Bonifacio is a commune at the southern tip of the island of Corsica, in theCorse-du-Sud department, SartÌne district (arrondissement), Bonifacio total (canton). Bouches de Bonifacio is located on the Mediterranean Sea with the roughly limestone and coastal further into cliffs. This is an attraction famous of France.

Value (2-2): Ha Long bay in Vietnam. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. Ha Long bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands with rich vegetation cover and many beautiful caves. This is not only one of the attractions famous in the world but also be introduced to nominate as World's 7 Natural Wonder.

 

Vietnam - Singapore Joint Issue - 2008

On November 18, 2008,  Vietnam  and Singapore  issued the stamp series shows the typical fruits of the two countries like  Dragon fruit of Vietnam and Durian fruit of Singapore. The each country only issued single stamps.

2-1: Durian fruit - Durio zibethinus Muray

The Durian, native to Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, is the fruit of trees from the genus Durio belonging Malvaceae family. It is mostly planted in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, India and Australia.

The fruit can grow up to 30 centimetres long and 15 centimetres in diameter, typically weighs one to four kilograms and formidable thorn-covered husk. The shell splits into five segments when ripe, exposing the creamy whitish, yellowish or pinkish aril which surrounds large seeds. The taste is sweet and unique odour. The durian is commonly known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of the Fruits". 

 

 
 

2-2: Dragon fruit - Hylocereus undatus (Haw.)

Britton & Rose. Dragon fruit, the fruit of several cactus species, is cultivated as a flowering ornamental tree or fruit-tree. It not known exactly where the dragon fruit originated, but it is thought to have come from Central and South America. The dragon fruits are also cultivated in China, Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries .

Vietnam Dragon Fruit is a spectacular night flowering cactus with highly ornamental pink skin & white flesh fruit containing numerous small black seeds. Fruit can be up to 1kg with a melon like flavour. Dragon fruits are valuable fruit export of Vietnam.

Vietnam - Argentina Joint Issue 2008

On October 25, 2008 , Argentina and Vietnam have issued the joint issued stamp with theme of flower. The stamps are represented in two stamps depicted flower species Ceiba chodatii Ravena and Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. The both stamps have same face value.

Ceiba chodatii (Hassl.) Ravenna. 

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.

Vietnam at Philakorea 1994

Vietnam Post has issued the bird stamp series for commemorating the participation at the International Stamp Exhibition, Phila Korea 1994. The issuance in one souvenir sheet and one set of 6 pieces stamps. The featured species of bird are Eurasian Curlew, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Great Frigatebird ,Cape Gannet ,Tufted Puffin ,Belcher's Gull and Germain’s Swiftlet.

Germain's Swiftlet ( Aerodramus germani)

Germain's Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani) is a species of swift and can be found in China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.This swiftlet is 12 cm long and weighs 13 to 14 grams. The plumage is blackish-brown above, but much paler on the underparts. The tail is slightly forked and the wings are long and narrow. The bill and feet are black.This swiftlet feeds over a range of habitats from coastal areas to the mountains. Its diet consists of flying insects which are caught on the wing.

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)

The largest wader in its range, at 50–57 cm length, and a 1 m wingspan. It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back, and a very long curved bill.This is a migratory species over most of its range, wintering in Africa, southern Europe and south Asia.

Wilson’s Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)

Wilson's Storm-petrel is a small bird, 16-18.5 cm in length with a 38–42 cm wingspan.

Also known as Wilson's Petrel, is a small seabird of the storm-petrel family . It is one of the most abundant bird species in the world.

Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)

The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic.

Cape Gannet (Morus capensis)

The Cape Gannet, Morus capensis, originally Sula capensis, is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.Easily identified by their large size, black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck.

Tufled Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)

The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk (Alcidae) family found throughout the North Pacific Ocean. It is one of three species of puffin that make up the Fratercula genus and is easily recognizable by its thick red bill and yellow tufts.

Belcher’s Gull (Larus belcheri)

The Belcher's Gull (Larus belcheri), also known as the or Band-tailed Gull, is a gull found along the Pacific coast of South America.It is a medium-sized gull with a blackish mantle, white head and underparts, a black band in the otherwise white tail, and a yellow bill with a red and black tip. Non-breeding adults have a blackish head and a white eye-ring.

Blogger Tags: Eurasian Curlew, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Great Frigatebird, Cape Gannet, Tufted Puffin, Belcher's Gull, Germain’s Swiftlet, Vietnam, Phi, a Korea 1994, bird

Vietnam at Brasiliana 83

Vietnam Post issued a souvenir sheet feature a bird, Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco), to commemorate the participation at the International Stamp Exhibition Brasiliana 83, Brazil.

The Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) is the largest and arguably best known species in the toucan family. It is found in semi-open habitats throughout a large part of central and eastern South America. It is a common attraction in zoos.

The Toco Toucan has a striking plumage with a mainly black body, a white throat, chest and uppertail-coverts, and red undertail-coverts. its noticeable huge bill, which is yellow-orange, tending to deeper reddish-orange on its lower sections and culmen, and with a black base and large spot on the tip.

Vietnam’s participation at Espana 84

Vietnam Post has participated at the International Stamp Exhibition Espana 84 and they issued the commemorative stamp pesented in one souvenir sheet featured Ciconia ciconia bird with backfround image of forest. The Logo of Espana 84 printed on the sheet.

The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a strong migrant bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. The plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings . The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) have long red legs and a long pointed red bill. The preferred foraging habitat of the White Stork are meadows and shallow wetlands.

Vietnam stamp at Taipei’96

Vietnam Post has issued a souvenir sheet depicted the protected animal for commemorating their participation at Taipei ’96 Asian International Philatelic Exhibition, Taiwan. The protected species are Pygathrix nemacus (400d), Ho-Phantera tigris (2000d), Rhinoceros sondaicus (4000d), Balearica regulorum (10000d).