On November 22, the State Post Bureau held a thematic press conference in Shanghai to introduce the latest information regarding China 2024 Asian International Stamp Exhibition (CHINA 2024).

On the theme “Stamps Present Asian Culture”, CHINA 2024 will be held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from November 29 to December 3. As of now, representatives from 69 countries and regions are expected to participate in the exhibition or on-site sales activities, and more than 1,600 frames of competitive exhibits are to be displayed, hitting a record high of the Asian International Stamp Exhibition. The All-China Philatelic Federation (ACPF) will exhibit a total of 701 frames of stamps in 167 albums, covering 16 competitive classes, aiming to demonstrate the highest level of Chinese philatelists’ achievements over the past five years. 23 pieces of Chinese philatelic literature, including the new edition of Philatelic Dictionary of China, will present the latest research outcomes on Chinese philately. More than 20 philatelic cultural activities will be held during CHINA 2024, including non-competitive exhibitions such as the exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, rare stamp exhibition, and the official stamp exhibition of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), as well as events such as the UPU meetings, academic forums, Shanghai Culture Day, and Youth Day for philately exchanges among younsters. In addition, the UPU will organize three international seminars on topics such as stamp printing technology, encrypted stamps, philatelic innovation and stamp coding systems, aiming to jointly explore the use of new technologies to innovate and develop philatelic services, and create new business models and forms of philately.

The competitive classes of the exhibition cover all the 15 official classes of the International Philatelic Federation (FIP), and include First Day Cover (FDC) class for the first time as a pilot program, making CHINA 2024 the most diverse exhibition of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP) to date in terms of classes. Including FDC class in the exhibition has sparked enthusiastic responses in the philatelic circles at home and abroad. The FDC exhibition will display 110 frames of FDC in 22 albums, of which 65 frames in 13 albums are from China. Besides, over 20 philatelic literature works will be on display, including the newly revised and published Philatelic Dictionary of China, monographs that study classic stamps or explore postal history, as well as theoretical research works on emerging philatelic methods like zodiac philately, fully demonstrating the rich academic atmosphere and cultural heritage of philately in China.

As is introduced, the opening ceremony of CHINA 2024 is scheduled to be held in the Central Hall of the Shanghai Exhibition Center at 9:00 am on November 29. Officials from the Ministry of Transport and Shanghai Municipal People’s Government will attend the opening activities of CHINA 2024. Additionally, guests such as President Prakob Chirakiti and Honorary President Tay Peng Hian of FIAP, and representatives from international organizations including the International Bureau of the UPU and the United Nations Postal Administration, will also attend the opening ceremony. To be held on the evening of December 2, the closing and award ceremony of CHINA 2024 is widely followed by the participating philatelic organizations of different countries and regions. The closing ceremony will present the highest awards for the exhibits, including the Grand Prix National, the Grand Prix International and the Grand Prix d’ Honneur. Amid the closing ceremony, a flag handover ceremony will also be held to transfer the FIAP flag to the host country of the next Asian International Stamp Exhibition.