Vietnamese farmer promotes Hoang Sa, Truong Sa archipelago stamps to world public

Farmer Tran Huu Hue of An Giang province, owns stamps of great historical value, including two collections namely “Hoang Sa soldiers in the 17th and 18thcentury” and “Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in ancient maps”. 

Tran Huu Hue has had a passion for collecting stamps since he was young. Hue says his stamp collections on the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes are significant because they prove Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelago and are recognized by the Universal Postal Union. The stamps “Hoang Sa soldiers in the 17th and 18th century” depict Hoang Sa soldiers holding an oar in one hand and in the other hand a horn for communicating with one another.

Other stamps feature a map of Vietnam’s territory, including the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagoes. Hue now owns more than 200 stamps on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

“As a stamp collector, I got the idea of using stamps to promote Vietnam’s sovereignty over its sea and islands. I sent envelopes with stamps of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa to many countries and got them back with the stamps sealed by those countries in recognition of Vietnam’s sovereignty over those archipelagoes,” Hue elaborated.

Since 2014, Hue has sent out hundreds of envelopes with Hoang Sa and Truong Sa stamps which he describes as difficult and risky work. It takes him 2 to 3 months to get feedback and sometimes his envelopes go missing. But now he has 76 stamps of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa sealed by 60 countries.

“I have sent 160 envelopes to other countries and territories but have gotten back only 76. I need two more to complete my sealed stamp collection of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa recognized by the world,” Hue said.

Despite all the hard farm work he does, Hue remains dedicated to his passion. Ms. Vuong Thi Mui En, Hue’s wife, said “My husband started collecting stamps as a student. Things were hard at that time. Every time he harvested his crop, he spent a little money on stamps. I support his hobby, because collecting stamps is good entertainment and enriches one’s knowledge”.