Before starting on Vietnam’s 2022 stamps, I looked over last year’s offerings. What was my favourite? Yikes it was hard to pick. My heart was torn between tigers and food. In the end, I couldn’t pick just one, so both sets win. The last two issues of 2021 were Nguyễn Quang Vinh’s Lunar New Year Tiger stamps and Tô Minh Trang’s Vietnamese Cuisine. Both are exquisite examples of the best Vietnam offers regarding culture, art and stamp design.
Bún, Phở, noodles and tigers. I can’t imagine a better stamp program. You can see all of them here Vietnam’s 2021 stamp issues | Bitter Grounds Magazine.
The Vietstampex Exhibition 2020 will finally be held, from June 24 to 26, 2022, after a two year delay due to Covid restrictions. Two special stamp issues will be released during the exhibition – Sea and Islands of Vietnam: Seabirds and Vietnamese Fairy Tales: The Starfruit Tree.
If you are lucky enough to attend VIETSTAMPEX drop a note in the comments. I’d love to hear all about it. You don’t need to write it in English, I’ll figure it out. The show will be held at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Labor Culture Palace (91 Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi). The first show was held in 1998, and runs every 5 years so after a two year delay, it must be exciting for collectors in Vietnam to have it return. I know I was over the moon when CAPEX returned here in Toronto. Send photos!
The new year starts with yet another personal favourite topic – coffee, so as far as I’m concerned the year is already a success.
Enjoy
Catpaw
February
Love Stamps
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, maxi card, booklet of stamps
Designer: Nguyễn Quang Vinh
Release date: February 14, 2022
Coffee trees
4 stamps, 1 FDC, cancel, 4 maxi cards
Coffee is grown in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. They are the second largest coffee exporter in the world, selling an estimated 3,637,627,000 lbs a year. This set of stamps show coffee in it’s various stages of growth.
Vietnam has a great coffee culture. If you haven’t tried it, find a place that serves Vietnamese coffee. You won’t be disappointed. One of the highlights of my trips around Toronto is being able to stop and enjoy a cup. If you happen to wander to Toronto one day, stop at Rustle & Still café for a window seat and a Vietnamese coffee. If you have a favourite place for a good Vietnamese coffee, drop it in the comments below.
Designer: Tô Minh Trang
Release date: February 22, 2022
April
Commemorating the 700th Anniversary of the Death of Historian Lê Văn Hưu (1230-1322)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Trần Dynasty historian. Credited with writing the first history of Vietnam Lê Văn Hưu’s Đại Việt sử ký | Le Van Huu’s Dai Viet history book.
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: April 9, 2022
50 years of protecting Quang Tri Citadel |Thành cổ Quảng Trị (1972-2022)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, booklets
The Citadel is an ancient military castle dating to 1809. The original earthen covered fort was commissioned by King Gia Long. By 1837, King Minh Mạng ordered it rebuilt with bricks and served as a military stronghold in the Quảng Trị province until 1945.
This place is not only the political, economic and cultural center of Quang Tri province, but also has an important position in the history of the struggle for national independence and the defense of the Fatherland. In the summer of 1972 (from June 28 to September 16) there was an 81-day and-night fight to protect Quang Tri Citadel, going down in history as the immortal epic against foreign invaders of the Vietnamese people. VNPost | Introducing the stamp set “50 years of protecting Quang Tri Citadel (1972-2022)”
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: April 29, 2022
May
31st Southeast Asian Games – SEA Games 31
4 stamps, 1 stamp on a souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 4 maxi cards
This is the second time Vietnam has hosted the SEA Games. Their first was the 22nd games in 2008.
Designers: Trần Thế Vinh and Nguyễn Du
Release date: May 12, 2022
June
Vietnamese Fairy Tales: The Starfruit Tree
4 stamps, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 4 maxi cards
Vietnamese Fairy Tales: The Starfruit Tree | Truyện cổ tích Việt Nam: Cây khế uses a universal motif of greed and sibling rivalry to tell this cautionary tale. Artist and designer Nguyễn Du created this beautiful storyboard, featuring vividly colourful illustrations. Nguyễn has created many stamps for Vietnam post, but this will rank as his best work.
The story lays out, in 4 frames the basics of the tale and woven between each stamp, is a starfruit tree.
You can read about this set here Folktale from Vietnam – starfruit tree | Bitter Grounds Magazine.
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: June 25, 2022
Sea, Island of Vietnam: Seabirds, islands
series 3
4 stamps, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 4 maxi cards, 3 booklets
- Nhàn mào | greater crested tern – Thalasseus bergii Thalasseus bergii (Great Crested-Tern) – Avibase (bsc-eoc.org)
- Gà đồng | watercock – Gallicrex cinerea Gallicrex cinerea (Watercock) – Avibase (bsc-eoc.org)
- Rẽ khoang | ruddy turnstone – Arenaria interpres Arenaria interpres (Ruddy Turnstone) – Avibase (bsc-eoc.org)
- Choắt lùn đuôi xám | Gray-tailed tattler Tringa brevipes Tringa brevipes (Grey-tailed Tattler) – Avibase (bsc-eoc.org)
- Chim điên chân đỏ | red footed booby – Sula sula ADW: Sula sula: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Special release ceremony took place at this year’s VIETSTAMPEX 2020 in Hanoi.
Designers: Nguyễn Du and Phạm Quang Diệu
Release date: June 24, 2022
August
Waterfalls of Vietnam
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 maxi cards
- Dai Ye waterfall (Son La) – thác Dải Yếm (Sơn La)
- Pongour waterfall (Lam Dong) – Thác Pongour (Lâm Đồng)
- May waterfall (Thanh Hoa) – thác Mây (Thanh Hoá)
- Suoi Tranh waterfall (Kien Giang) – thác Suối Tranh (Kiên Giang).
Designer: Nguyễn Đức Lân
Release date: August 15, 2022
September
Tiger
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 maxi cards
Indochinese tiger Panthera tigris corbetti Mazak ADW: Panthera tigris: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Issued in conjunction with the Second International Forum on Tiger Conservation.
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: September 5, 2022
Road Traffic Safety
3rd in series
4 stamps, FDC, cancel
- Slow down for kids;
- Check your tires regularly
- Look at the road and give way (Always pay attention)
- Eyes leading the way, must be checked regularly (Check your vision)
First set in this issue was released in 2020.
Designer: Tô Minh Trang
Release date: September 20, 2022
October
Vietnamese Cuisine
4th in series
4 stamps (FDC and cancel to come)
Popular dishes from across Vietnam
- Bánh xeo – Vietnamese crepes
- Bánh khot – mini shrimp pancakes
- cam tấm – “broken rice”
- Bánh mi – Vietnamese specialty sandwich on a baguette
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: October 10, 2022
Revolutionary Soldier Hoàng Thế Thiện (1922-1995)
1 stamp, FDC, maxi card, cancel
Designer: Vương Ánh Nguyệt
Release date: October 20, 2022
Celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet (1922-2022)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Phạm Trung Hà
Release date: November 22, 2022
December
Tết Quý Mão – Vietnamese New Year 2023
2 stamps, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 2 maxi cards
2023 is the Year of the Cat on the Vietnamese zodiac. You can read about it here Tết Quý Mão – Vietnamese New Year 2023 | Bitter Grounds Magazine and see Nguyễn’s entire Lunar New Year stamp cycle.
Designer: Nguyễn Quang Vinh
Release date: December 1, 2022
50th Anniversary of the 12-Day Battle Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air (1972)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
This anniversary has previously appeared on stamps in 1987 and 1973
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: December 18, 2022
Church Architecture
3 stamps, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, 4 postcards
This is a new series
- Phat Diem Cathedral | Nhà thờ Chính Toà Phát Diệm (Ninh Binh)
- Da Nang Cathedral | Nhà thờ Chính Toà Đà Nẵng, Nhà thờ Mặc Bắc (Trà Vinh)
- Mo Bac Church| Nhà thờ Chính Toà Kon Tum (Tra Vinh)
- Kon Tum Cathedral |Nhà thờ Chính Toà Hà Nội.
- Hanoi Cathedral | Nhà thờ Chính Toà Hà Nội.
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: December 24, 2022
100th Anniversary of the Birth of Musician Đỗ Nhuận (1922-1991)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Đỗ Nhuận – musician, composer. Composed Vietnam’s first Vietnamese opera – Cô Sao “Miss Sao”.
Do Nhuan has left many valuable works in many different genres, from songs to operas, dance plays, puppet operas, rowing music, soundtracks, chamber works for musical instruments, two musical pieces, ensembles and symphonic ensembles…
The stamp set is designed according to the idea from the song “My homeland Vietnam” with a graphic design style, the stamp model shows the familiar village image of Vietnam, there are mountains, there are rivers, there are village bamboo ramparts hidden under the lyrics.
Released a set of stamps commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of musician Do Nhuan (vietnamnet.vn) Article in Vietnamese
This article (in Vietnamese) The 100th anniversary of the birth of musician Do Nhuan: The one who paved the way into the field of ethnic music (thethaovanhoa.vn) has a good biography on Đỗ and fills in some interesting facts, including a timeline.
There are a number of clips of his opera Miss Sao available on YouTube. But one of the best was a performance by soprano Hà My singing Why Don’t You See Each Other, a song from the opera. It’s beautifully performed and I’ve listened to it at least a dozen times now.
This Wiki page has an excellent synopsis of both the opera and its history Ms. Sao – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This page is in Vietnamese, so use a translator. Don’t bother with the English version of the page, it lacks any relevant details.
This is another good source Restoration and premiere of the musical ‘Miss Sao’ – VnExpress Entertainment on both the opera and how it was restored. Also in Vietnamese. I recommend installing a good translator plugin.
Poster from the 2012 performance of Cô Sao
Designer: Phạm Quang Diệu
Release date: December 25, 2022
200th Anniversary of the Birth of Scientist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, maxi card
Designer: Phạm Quang Diệu
Release date: December 27, 2022
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