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Taiwan’s 2021 stamps & a topnotch site

by | Mar 25, 2021

Taiwan’s 2021 stamps cover art, architecture, nature, and fabulous cityscapes. Plenty of great stamps to admire. One thing I noticed at Chunghwa Post is the depth of information it offers collectors. Not only do they supply great images and details about modern stamps, but they also have an online museum! Stamp Treasures covers the entire history of Taiwan’s postal service. You can find information going back to the first issues from 1878 and right through to 2021. 

What blew me away with the website is the level of thought that must have gone into organising the material. I’ve become used to wading through sites that are at times chaotic and outdated. To find a site that gave serious thought to what stamp collectors want was pure heaven. Taiwan’s post office is searchable by year, type of issue (stamp, FDC, folders etc.) or by theme. Chunghwa uses a delightful series of icons to help collectors quickly find what they are looking for:

Taiwan icons from stamp website

It doesn’t matter what language you speak; Taiwan makes it simple.

If you are a collector, take a look at the album pages sold through Taiwan’s post office. They sell loose album pages for each issue. Canada Post, please take note. 

Thematic alert: Art on stamps 

If you collect art on stamps there are two series to look for this year. The Modern Taiwanese Paintings returns after skipping 2020 and picks up with 4 more stamps. There is a full series of First Day Covers, album pages, presentation packs etc. available to collect.

The real jewel for art collectors is the second set “Syzygy of the Sun, Moon, and the Five Planets”. It’s part of a series that is issuing images from a long scroll by artist Xu Yang of the Qing dynasty. 2020 saw 6 stamps from the scroll published and this year 6 more. Here’s 2020’s stamps:

2020 stamps

“Syzygy of the Sun, Moon, and the Five Planets” by Xu Yang, Qing Dynasty Series 1 issues

The scroll is in the National Palace Museum. If you have time, check out the page devoted to the scroll. I’m hunting up a bit more information on the scroll, so check back later to see if I’ve managed to post more here. 

Cancels

I’m a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find details on upcoming postmarks. I’ll keep looking, but that I’m not hopeful. It’ll take a deep dive into the website and a few other sources to find details.

Lunar New Year stamps  

If you are looking for Year of the Ox stamps, there is only one for 2021 – it’s a vending machine label. The rest of the issues came out Dec. 2020 and you can find them here 2021 Year of the Ox stamps worldwide | Bitter Grounds Magazine

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As always, I’ll be updating this page throughout the year. You can follow me on Facebook & Twitter for update details. You can also leave me messages and question on either platform or in the comments below. I enjoy chatting with readers.

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Think about subscribing & supporting Bitter Grounds. If you enjoy reading about stamps, you can help with a donation via the little coffee cup on the bottom left or PayPal. I’ll do the heavy lifting in getting the material sorted and you can sit back and enjoy. 

NOTE: corrections to designer names will be made over the next few weeks. I’m grateful to a reader who pointed out that the majority of Taiwanese do not use Hanyu pinyin or personal names, which is what translator defaulted. 

January

South Penghu Marine National Park

South Penghu Marine National Park stamp two Taiwan's 2021 stampsSouth Penghu Marine National Park stamp three

South Penghu Marine National Park stamp one Taiwan 2021 stamp issuesSouth Penghu Marine National Park stamp four 

South Penghu Marine National Park sheet twoSouth Penghu Marine National Park sheet one

South Penghu Marine National Park sheet fourSouth Penghu Marine National Park sheet three

4 stamps, sheets, FDCs, presentation folder, Maxi cards, album pages

Designer: Jheng Yi-lang

Release date: Jan. 20, 2021


February

Taiwan Scenery — Kaohsiung City

Taiwan Scenery series started in 2016

Kaohsiung City stamp oneKaohsiung City stamp four Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

Kaohsiung City stamp threeKaohsiung City stamp two 

Kaohsiung City sheet oneKaohsiung City sheet two

Kaohsiung City sheet threeKaohsiung City sheet four

  • National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) 
  • Dome of Light in Kaohsiung MRT
  • Heart of Love River
  • Port of Kaohsiung

4 stamps, 4 sheets, FDCs, folders, Loose-leaf album page, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with one stamp, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with full set of stamps

Note: Personal greeting stamps without marginal inscriptions have been also released along with the stamps, which feature a full set of “Taiwan Scenery Postage Stamps — Kaohsiung City.”

Designer: Delta Design Corporation

Release date:  Feb. 4, 2021


March

Centennial Anniversary of James L. Maxwell’s Death

James Maxwell single stamp Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

James Maxwell Sheets

 

Dr. James L. Maxwell was born in Scotland in 1836 and graduated from Edinburgh University Medical School. On June 16, 1865 he began his work as a medical missionary at Khòan-sai Street, Tainan. The Khòan-sai Street Clinic was the first Western-style clinic in Taiwan. Dr. Maxwell combined medical work with his preaching. He trained staff and assisted innumerable patients, earning him the title Father of Taiwan’s Medical Missionaries.
中華郵政全球資訊網-郵票寶藏 – Pages (post.gov.tw)

1 stamp, sheet, folder, FDC, FDC with one stamp, album page

Artist: Shen Cheen
Designer: Highlight Creative Co., Ltd.

Release date: Mar. 5, 2021


Auspicious Ox Postage Vending Machine Label

Auspicious Ox label Taiwan's 2021 stamps

1 vending machine label, FDC, folio
Folio with two styles (from which, 6,000 copies with denominations printed in red while 2,000 copies black) is released along with the postage label

Designer: Tseng Kai-chih

Release date: Mar. 10, 2021 / FDC released: March 8, 2021

Rest of the Lunar New Year issues were released in 2020. You can see them here:

  2021 Year of the Ox stamps worldwide | Bitter Grounds Magazine 


April

Aquatic Life – Goldfish
Series 3

Pearl Scale goldfish Taiwan's 2021 stampsCelestial Eye goldfish Taiwan's 2021 stamps

Water Bubble Eye goldfish Taiwan's 2021 stampsOranda goldfish Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

Aquatic Life Postage Stamps – Goldfish (III) Aquatic Life Postage Stamps – Goldfish (III)

Aquatic Life Postage Stamps – Goldfish (III)Aquatic Life Postage Stamps – Goldfish (III)

  • Pearl scale  
  • Celestial Eye
  • Water Bubble Eye
  • Oranda 

4 stamps, First Day Cover, Folder (with or without mount), Loose-leaf album page, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with one stamp, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with a full set of stamps

Designer: Jheng Yi-lang
Jheng Yi-lang also designed Jan’s South Penghu Marine National Park issues

Release date: April 9, 2021


Modern Taiwanese Paintings
Series 2 

Ni Chiang-huai’s Mt. Datun painting Taiwan's 2021 stampsYeh Huo-cheng’s A Scene from Fengyuan Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

Huang Shui-wen’s Early Summer in South Taiwan Taiwan's 2021 stampsHuang Ching-shan’s Ship of Southern Country Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

Modern Taiwanese Paintings Postage StampsModern Taiwanese Paintings Postage Stamps Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

Modern Taiwanese Paintings Postage StampsModern Taiwanese Paintings Postage Stamps

  • Mt. Datun – artist Ni Chiang-huai’s 
  • A Scene from Fengyuan – artist Yeh Huo-cheng
  • Early Summer in South Taiwan- artist Huang Shui-wen 
  • Ship of Southern Country – artist Huang Ching-shan

4 stamps, First Day Cover, Folder (with or without mount), Loose-leaf album page, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with one stamp, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with a full set of stamps

Designer: Delta Design Corporation

Release date: April 21, 2021


May 

Bike Paths of Taiwan

Bike Paths of Taiwan stamp one Taiwan's 2021 stampsBike Paths of Taiwan stamp two Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

Bike Paths of Taiwan stamp three Taiwan's 2021 stampsBike Paths of Taiwan stamp four Taiwan's 2021 stamps 

Bike Paths of Taiwan sheet three Bike Paths of Taiwan sheet two

Bike Paths of Taiwan sheet fourBike Paths of Taiwan sheet one

  • Nantou’s Sun Moon Lake Bikeway
  • Hualien’s Yufu Bikeway
  • Taitung’s Guanshan Town Circle Bicycle Path
  • Taichung’s Tanya Shen Green Bikeway

4 stamps, First Day Cover, Folder (with or without mount), Loose-leaf album page, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with one stamp, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with a full set of stamps

Designer: Highlight Creative Co., Ltd.

Release date: May 5, 2021


Ancient Chinese Paintings:

“Syzygy of the Sun, Moon, and the Five Planets”

by Xu Yang, Qing Dynasty Series 2 

Taiwan's 2021 stamps Ancient Chinese Paintings: "Syzygy of the Sun, Moon, and the Five Planets" stamps 

Taiwan's 2021 stamps Ancient Chinese Paintings: "Syzygy of the Sun, Moon, and the Five Planets" sheet

6 stamps, First Day Cover large size, Folder (with or without mount), Loose-leaf album page, Maxi cards, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with a full set of stamps, Pre-cancelled maxi cards, Stamp collection (Paperback), Stamp collection (Hardback) 

Designer: Tseng Kai-chih 

Release date: May 19, 2021


June 

Taiwan Relics

Series 2

Taiwan Relics stamp three Taiwan's 2021 stampsTaiwan Relics stamp one Taiwan's 2021 stamps

Taiwan Relics stamp two Taiwan's 2021 stamps Taiwan Relics stamp four Taiwan's 2021 stamps

Taiwan Relics sheet twoTaiwan Relics sheet three

Taiwan Relics sheet fourTaiwan Relics sheet one

  • Nanxuan 鯓 Dynasty Tianfu (face value 6 yuan): located in the North Gate District of Tainan City,
  • Hsinchu State Hall (face value 8 yuan): located in the north district of Hsinchu City
  • The University of Science (face value 10 yuan): located in the freshwater district of Xinbei City
  • Ma Gongjin 礮 (face value 12 yuan): in Magong City, Penghu County

4 stamps, First Day Cover large size, Folder (with or without mount), Loose-leaf album page, Maxi cards, Pre-cancelled FDC affixed with a full set of stamps, FDC Pre-cancelled maxi cards,

Designer: Natural Light Design Co., Ltd 

Release date: June 17, 2021


Alpine Plant Stamps
Series 1 
  Alpine Plant Stamps Alpine Plant Stamps Alpine Plant Stamps Alpine Plant Stamps    
Alpine Plant Stamps Alpine Plant Stamps Alpine Plant Stamps Alpine Plant Stamps
 
4 stamps, sheets of 20, FDC
  • Taiwan quinoa 8 yuan 
  • Yushan mountain radish 8 yuan 
  • Waseda fennel 15 yuan
  • Yushan Buddha grass 20 yuan
Designer: Xu Wei
 
Release date: June 30, 2021
 

July

Anniversary of the death of former President Deng Hui

President Deng Hui 2 President Deng Hui   

President Deng Hui 3President Deng Hui 4

  President Deng Hui sheet President Deng Hui sheet 4 

President Deng Hui sheet 3 President Deng Hui sheet 2

4 tamps, sheets of 20

Designer: Natural Light Design Co., Ltd

Release date: July 30, 2021


August 

Tribute to the epidemic prevention personnel

Thank you Health Care 

Tribute to the epidemic prevention personnel 

Covid health workers  Thankyou covid workers card

6 stamps on souvenir sheet, full first day sheet, special full colour illustrated booklet, ticket card

Release date: August 9, 2021


Taiwan’s Core Industries

Taiwans core industries

6 stamps

  • health care
  • environmental protection
  • science and technology
  • construction

Designer: Daguan Visual Consultants Co., ltd

Release date: August 27, 2021


September 

Taoyuan City
 
taoyuan city 2 landscape
taoyuan city 2 stamps 
 
4 stamps
 
Designer: Daguan Visual Consultants Co., ltd

Release date: September 10, 2021


Ancient Paintings of the Palace Museum in Early Spring  

Ancient paintings of the museum palace

1 stamp on a souvenir sheet
lithography, brush

Designer: Zeng Kaizhi |曾凱智 
Release date: September 29, 2021


Horizontal Domestic Registered Envelopes

horizontal domestic registered envelopes  

Sept 2021 Taiwan envelope 2

2 pre-stamped registered envelope

Release date: September 29, 2021


October 

110th anniversary of the founding of the republic of china

Founding of Taiwan

Founding of Taiwan card protector

Founding of Taiwan FDC

4 stamps, FDC, cancel, ticket protective card (套票護票卡 didn’t translate well)
lithography, brush

Release date: October 8, 2021


November

Classic Poetry

angshang Fisherman" Fan Zhongyan "Lushan Qiao Sing" Luo Zhongshu 

Sympathetic to the Nong" Li Shen Sympathetic to the Nong" Li Shen

Sympathetic to the Nong" Li Shen Sympathetic to the Nong" Li Shen 

"Lushan Qiao Sing" Luo Zhongshu sheet of stamps angshang Fisherman" Fan Zhongyan sheet of stamps 

4 stamps, 4 sheets of 20

Original text: 

一、〈江上漁者〉范仲淹(面值8元):江上往來人,但愛鱸魚美。君看一葉舟,出沒風波裡。
二、〈蘆山樵唱〉羅仲舒(面值8元):秋山草木落,樵夫日相尋。幽歌出容谷,金石有餘音。
三、〈憫農〉李紳(面值12元):鋤禾日當午,汗滴禾下土。誰知盤中飧,粒粒皆辛苦。
四、〈勸學〉顏真卿(面值15元):三更燈火五更雞,正是男兒讀書時。黑髮不知勤學早,白首方悔讀書遲。

Mediocre translation:

1. “Jiangshang Fisherman” Fan Zhongyan (face value 8 yuan): People who come and go on the river, but love the beauty of perch. Jun looked at Yiye Zhou, haunting the storm.
2. “Lushan Qiao Sing” Luo Zhongshu (face value 8 yuan): The woodsman is looking for each other with the fall of autumn mountains. Youge comes out of Ronggu, and there is a lingering sound in the stone.
3. “Sympathetic to the Nong” Li Shen (face value of 12 yuan): On the noon of the day of hoeing, sweat drips down the soil. Who knows that everything is hard in the game.
4. “Encourage Learning” Yan Zhenqing (face value of 15 yuan): The three watch lights and the five watch chickens are exactly when the boy is studying. The black hair does not know how to study early, and the white head regrets being late in studying.

Designer: Daguan Vision Consultants Co., Ltd
Artist: Shen Zhen | 沈禎

Release date: November 3, 2021


Hakka Festival (客家节)

Hakka Festival (客家节)  Hakka Festival (客家节)

Hakka Festival (客家节) Hakka Festival (客家节) 

Hakka Festival (客家节) Hakka Festival (客家节) 

Hakka Festival (客家节) Hakka Festival (客家节) 

4 stamps, 4 sheets of 20

Hakka Festivals 

Designer: Natural Light Design Co., Ltd

Release date: November 22, 2021


Lunar New Year – Year of the Tiger

Taiwan Year of Tiger cancel

Lunar New Year - Year of the Tiger Lunar New Year - Year of the Tiger 

Lunar New Year - Year of the Tiger

Lunar New Year - Year of the Tiger FDC  Lunar New Year - Year of the Tiger souvenir sheet fdc

Lunar New Year - Year of the Tiger sheet Lunar New Year - Year of the Tiger sheet 

2 stamps, stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 2 sheets of 20

NOTE: This new translation was tweaked by a reader. I appreciate the work he put into getting this correct. He also supplied a correction to the designer’s name. 

一、面值6元郵票:以「虎躍山雄勢,福氣富滿堂」意念,祝福虎年大吉大利,大顯身手。
二、面值13元郵票:以「虎虎生風」意念,祈願新的一年風生水起,萬事圓滿順利,虎(福)氣一整年。
三、面值15元小全張:以老虎之威武虎嘯來呈現「虎虎生威,福氣沖天」,藉以祝福新的一年虎氣沖天,身體健康如虎。

Mediocre translation:

  1. 6 NTD (face value) stamp: Concept: “As the tiger leaps mightily in the mountains, blessings and good fortune fill the home.” This stamp represents good fortune in the Year of the Tiger and the opportunity to make a full display of one’s talents.
  2. 13 NTD (face value) stamp: Concept: “Two tigers set the tone.” This stamp represents wishes for a flourishing new year, full of success and smooth waters, with the luck and vigor of the tiger lasting the whole year. 
  3. 15 NTD (face value) souvenir sheet: using the tiger’s powerful roar, this sheet expresses the idea that “The tiger’s roar sends good fortune to the heavens” to wish everyone the same heavenly good fortune as well as the sturdy health of a tiger.   

Designer: Lin Chun-liang  | 林俊良

Release date: November 29, 2021


Check out all Year of the Tiger stamps.

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