Special Stamp Issue - "Year of the Dragon"

Sat, 12/31/2011 - 09:00 — Anonymous Hongkong Post today (December 31)
announced that a set of special stamps on "Year of the Dragon" will be
released for sale with associated philatelic products on January 14, 2012
(Saturday). Lunar New Year is the most important Chinese festivity that
follows a 12-year cycle with each year associated with one zodiac sign.
Hongkong Post has been issuing special stamps to mark this auspicious
occasion since 1967, and this is the first issue in the fourth series of
Lunar New Year Stamps. People born in Year of the Dragon are said to be
confident, courageous and clever.  The special stamps vividly portray four
imperial dragons in various forms, and are decorated with gold foiled
auspicious clouds to convey an air of festivity. Hongkong Post launches its
first-ever silk stamp sheetlet for the occasion, making the sheetlet a
precious gift to relatives and friends in the Lunar New Year.  Moreover, a
sheetlet with two stamps featuring the Rabbit and the Dragon embossed with
genuine gold and 99.9% pure silver is also available, while we have produced
a set of two stamp sheetlets capturing all twenty-four stamps in the entire
series of Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals. Official
First Day Covers for the "Year of the Dragon" Special Stamps and official
Souvenir Covers for the "Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year
Animals – Rabbit/Dragon" and "Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New
Year Animals – A Complete Collectible Set" will be put on sale at $1 each at
all post offices from December 31. A prestige version of official First Day
Cover for the "Year of the Dragon" Special Stamps will also be available at
$8 each at all post offices.  These items will be displayed at the General
Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Sha Tin
Central Post Office on the same day.  Advance orders for servicing
self-provided covers will be accepted at all philatelic offices from December
31, 2011 to January 6, 2012. While the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui
Post Office and Airport Post Office will maintain their normal full-day
operating hours, the other post offices (except mobile post offices) will
extend their business hours to 5.00 p.m on January 14, 2012. Information
about this special stamp issue and associated philatelic products can be
obtained from the website of Hongkong Post at(www.hongkongpoststamps.com).
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