Earlier this month, on the heels of the very successful World Stamp Show in New York City, Kyrgyz Express Post (KEP) issued a souvenir sheet in honour of another world-class stamp exhibition, PhilaTaipei 2016.
KEP is a postal service in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country neighbouring Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,Tajikistan and China along the Silk Road.
This other massive philatelic event, which will be held in Asia on the island of Taiwan from Oct. 21-26, is the World Stamp Championship Exhibition PhilaTaipei 2016. Like the New York show, PhilaTaipei is held under the patronage of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP); however, it’s organized by Chunghwa Post Co.; the Chinese Taipei Philatelic Federation; and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council. There are representatives of international philatelic organizations from 90 countries participating in this event. What’s more, FIP will also hold its 74th congress at PhilaTaipei.
On the PhilaTaipei souvenir sheet, KEP featured an animal typically found in the Taiwan region: the Formosan Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus). The bear stands against a scenic forest background, owing to its former European designation as “Formosa” or “Beautiful”.
Previously, KEP had issued a souvenir sheet marking World Stamp Show-NY2016. It depicts a bald eagle soaring above the most famous U.S. megacity. As noted by KEP, the bald eagle is a “wonderful bird, which, since 1782, is also the national bird of the United States of America and appears on the Great Seal of the United States, the presidential flag, some of the money bills and other state attributes.”