Vietnam, Portugal release stamp set celebrating 500 years of bilateral trade

The stamp set has been jointly issued by the Postal Services of Portugal and the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications, and is part of a series of events celebrating the 500^th year of bilateral trade between the two countries (1516-2016).

Located on the coast of central Quang Nam Province, Hoi An City was one of Vietnam’s busiest international trading ports in the 16th century and one of the destinations of choice for many Portuguese merchants, explaining why it was chosen as the venue for the stamp set’s release ceremony.

The stamp set comprises two designs, each featuring the national flags of Vietnam and Portugal, a panorama of Hoi An or Lisbon, accompanied by a traditional ceramic artifact of one of the two countries.

One of the designs depicts a piece of Vietnamese Chu Dau pottery against the background of a blue ocean and a panorama of Hoi An Ancient Town.

The white, garlic-shaped vase, dating back to 1450, features blue lotus-and-daisy patterns, and is currently on display at the Topkapi Museum in Turkey.

The other design illustrates a Portuguese ceramic plate against the background of the ancient coastal city that is Lisbon.

Dating as far back as the 13^th century, the plate features the figure of an Eastern woman and is currently being kept at the National Archeology Museum in Lisbon.

The two designs are drawn by Vietnamese artist To Minh Trang together with artists from Portugal.

One of the two designs for the joint stamp issue between Vietnam and Portugal was released on July 1, 2016.

One of the two designs for the joint stamp issue between Vietnam and Portugal was released on July 1, 2016.

“The joint issue of the stamp set serves as evidence of our cooperation in postal services, as well as a catalyst for a more prosperous and substantial relationship between the two countries,” Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong was quoted by local newswire VietNamNet as saying at the ceremony.

The stamp set is set to be sold to the public in 192 countries and territories from July 1 till the end of 2017.