2019 World Stamp Exhibition: Expo opens in Wuhan, attracting collectors from around the world

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The 2019 World Stamp Exhibition has opened in China's central city of Wuhan. This year's exhibition is the largest ever, and has attracted stamp collectors from home and abroad. Xia Ruixue reports.

Known as the 'Olympics' of the stamp collector community, the World Stamp Exhibition opened June 11th in Wuhan, Hubei province. 87 countries and regions are participating in the exhibition, with 4,700 exhibits, including 2,500 international ones.

YANG LIMIN PRESIDENT OF ALL-CHINA PHILATELIC FEDERATION "I'm sure this year's exhibition will attract many people across the country, because lots of innovation can be seen. It's a cultural exchange. And it will inspire philatelists to keep collecting stamps."

STAMP COLLECTOR "I've been collecting stamps for nearly 40 years. I came all the way from Jiangsu to Wuhan to attend the exhibition. You can learn everything from a little stamp. They are witnesses to the changes of our lives and can remind you of our history."

It's the third time China is hosting the World Stamp Exhibition. This year's is to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and to demonstrate the achievements of the country.

XIA RUIXUE WUHAN "In the era of emails, texts and instant posts on social networking apps, handwritten letters are going out of style. Stamps are now used for presenting culture, rather than paying postage."

This year, several treasured and unique stamps are being exhibited, including some of the earliest stamp manuscripts in existence. And for the first time, exhibits created by the physically handicapped will also be accepted. Xia Ruixue, CGTN, Wuhan, Hubei province.