Historic Figures and Macao

Macao is a small territory, the area of the peninsula may only be six or seven square kilometers and the total area of the peninsula plus that of the two offshore islands is only about twenty square kilometers. However, the unique geographical conditions and superior humanity environment provide outstanding figures with a piece of land for life and work and make numerous elites leave clear footprints in Macao. They stayed long or provisionally resided or lingered or stopped on the way for a rest. Because of all kinds of chances and experiences, they had close relation with Macao, generated important influences on such small city and became the rich, colorful and increasingly new collective memory of the people of Macao.

Macao not only has “Historic Center” universally acknowledged by the world, hut also has globally well-known “historic figures”. Macao is not only a city for tourism and gambling, hut also a famous city with historic culture. Such “family property” of great honor, becomes the disposition gene full of pride, awe and veneration of the people of Macao, on the other hand, even constantly arouses historic introspection and modern consideration for the need of opening up and forging ahead in the extraordinarily rapid era reform. While the main idea of such introspection and consideration is how to fuilher explore the cultural resources of Macao, highlight the spirits, meritorious service and great achievement of the historic figures, absorb nutrients, extract the wisdom and purify the soul among them, carry them forward and share them with the whole world.

Therefore, Macao Post especially launches an issue with the theme “Historic Figures and Macao” including a set of four stamps and one souvenir sheet. On the four stamps. the head portraits of four historic figures are respectively printed: Lin Zexu, a national hero in Chinese modern history, personally patrolled in Macao in the great anti-opium movement, his determined steps shocked China and foreign countries: Ye Ting, an army commander of the New Fourth Army in China with fame based on military exploits spreading far away, considered Macao as his “second hometown” and spent the quietest six years of his life in Macao: Xian Xinghai, a “great and strong” musician, who praises the Chinese nation by “The Yellow River Cantata” of great momentum, was horn in the family of a mariner as a true “son of Macao”: Ho Yin, an industrial and commercial giant, famous social activist and philanthropist who made distinguished contributions to the construction of Macao and his motherland was a typical person who loved the motherland and Macao.

The souvenir sheet with the forms “repeated chapter” for historic elites with the repeatedly appearing micro head portraits of the above figures as the background: the black-and-white half-length portraits of the four historic figures overprinted at the lower right corner, from the shallower to the deeper, arranged in sequence, indicate the memory of long and short time: for the stamp at the upper left, on the top of the head portraits of the ligures, the golden lotus is blossoming under the shining of five stars, which even reflects the lofty value judgment on the historic figures by Macao that has walked into new era.

With these tiny pieces, they fully carry deep and strong affection of the people of Macao: may the historic figures having made distinguished contributions to China and Macao and their spirits spread to further time and space.

Author: Lei Kun Teng

Translal ion: C&C — Translation Center. Ltd.

The Stamps:

The Sheetlet:

The Souvenir Sheet:

The FDC with Stamps:

The FDC with Souvenir Sheet:

The Post Mark:

Dados Técnicos/Technical Data

Valor dos Selos/Stamps Value: set of four stamps of 1.50, 2.50, 3.50 and 4.50 Patacas

Folhas Miniatura com quatro séries/Minisheets with four sets of stamps

Valor do Bloco/Souvenir Sheet Value: 10.00 Patacas

Desenho/Design: Carlos Marreiros

Data emissão/Issue date: 09.10.2011

Impressor/Printer: Österreichische Staatsdruckerei, Austria

Impressão/Print: Offset Lithography

Papel/Paper: Paper with Security Fibers

Picotagem/Perforation: 13¾ x 13¾