Event strikes right note with visitors
Interviews by Rui Pastorin
The Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition ends tomorrow at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Expo, with a raft of highlights remaining on showcase for philatelists and curious passers-by.
The free admission exhibition, which kicked off on Friday, marks Macau’s first global-scale philatelic event.
Visitors walking in will be able take part in activities from purchasing stamps and other items from around 50 sales booths, viewing original stamp designs by artists, and even joining workshops and seminars. An event highlight also sees a showcase of around 1,500 exhibition frames in various sections by participants from over 40 countries and regions.
Speaking with the Post yesterday, exhibitors and visitors alike praised the ongoing event and the way it has been organised.
A good opportunity
Ding from the Chinese mainland has been engrossed in the philatelic hobby for about 10 years, being passionate about collecting stamps. Visiting Macau, he is showing his collection at the exhibition, telling the Post that he is hoping that the city will have another chance to host it in the next decade.
The event, Ding said, could serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas for people from all over the world, while others can also get to know the city. “Through this large-scale exhibition, people from all over the world can get to know Macau”, Ding said, also highlighting the local government’s support for the event. “I think it is a good opportunity.”
Always aiming for perfection
Another enthusiast and exhibitor, Teguh from Indonesia, is proudly displaying stamps at the exhibition, along with his sons.
Enjoying the six-day event, Teguh highlighted the city’s aim to always deliver a perfect event. “As usual, Macau and China [in general], always make exhibitions as perfect as they can”, noting that he had also visited the “Macao 2018 – 35th Asian International Stamp Exhibition”, also at The Venetian Macao. “I’m really enjoying it. But one bad thing: the air conditioner is too cold!”, he joked.
Teguh highlighted that overall, the event has been arranged very well, congratulating the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) on a job well done.
The importance of stamps in the modern world
Visiting the event after hearing about it from their group of friends, Macau locals Anyu and Yaya were five minutes into exploring the exhibition, and upon first impression, they immediately started learning something about the world of stamps and philately.
At the exhibition area, Anyu, referring to the stamps and postcards on display, noted that they are “very historical”. He further pointed out: “Right away we can learn something new. I mean, just looking at them briefly, we learn something we didn’t know about before.”
Yaya, meanwhile, pointed out her surprise at how high the value of a stamp can be, seeing one that priced as high as 800 yuan (950 patacas). While admitting that they did not know much about stamps, both noted their appreciation for them. However, given the exhibition’s special and rare nature, Yaya said that she hoped it had been better promoted while also finding its relatively short run time of six days “quite disappointing”.
“I think it could last a little bit longer because they [the stamps exhibited] are very treasured”, Yaya said, emphasising the need for time to go through all of them. In the long run, she pointed out, exhibitions like these can help people learn more about history through stamps, which, she bewailed, are becoming increasingly rare, as in many places the sending of letters is disappearing and more and more post offices are closing for good.
Yaya also said that collecting stamps is a hobby that is “long-lasting”, spanning across generations. “But right now, I think we already have a big gap for this generation when it comes to collecting stamps. So I think this kind of exhibition is very important for this generation”, Yaya said.
Anyu further remarked on the value of stamps through the importance of having something tangible to hold onto, along with the appreciation of the aesthetics behind their design. “Today, when we send voice messages through our phones, we don’t have anything beautiful left behind” to show our families or children.
“I can show you my WhatsApp messages. Here’s an emoji, that’s very cute, but that’s all”, Anyu concluded.
Members of the public may visit the exhibition from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. today, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow.
Photos: Rui Pastorin
