“Intangible Cultural Heritage – Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade” Special Stamps

The Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade was inscribed onto the third National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011 and the first Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong in 2017. Legend has it that Tai O was hit by a plague over a century ago, and, in an effort to purify the community and drive away the epidemic, fishermen carried the deity statues they had received from four local temples onto sacred sampans, which were towed by dragon boats, to parade along the waterways. This custom, known locally as the “Dragon Boat Water Parade”, has endured since then. To this day, three traditional fishermen’s associations in Tai O remain committed to passing on and promoting this folk tradition. Hongkong Post releases special stamps on the theme of “Intangible Cultural Heritage – Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade” to promote this intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong, letting the public appreciate the essence of local traditions.

Acknowledgement: Intangible Cultural Heritage Office; Joint Association of Traditional Dragon-Boats in Tai O, Hong Kong; and Dr Liu Tik-sang

$2.40 Stamp – Picking the Greens
Before the Water Parade officially commences, members of the three traditional fishermen’s associations in Tai O, namely Pa Teng Hong, Sin Yu Hong and Hop Sum Tong, row their dragon boats towards the hillside near Yeung Hau Temple to perform the ritual of Picking the Greens.  Fresh grass is gathered and placed inside the mouths of the dragon boats’ figureheads to “awaken” the dragons. The stamp illustrates members of the fishermen’s associations placing freshly picked grass inside a dragon’s mouth during the ritual.

$4.20 Stamp – Receiving Deities
During the ritual of Receiving Deities, members of the three fishermen’s associations row dragon boats, with sacred sampans on tow, to visit Yeung Hau Temple, the Tin Hau Temple in San Tsuen, Kwan Tai Temple and Hung Shing Temple in turn to invite the statues of the four deities to the “dragon’s bases” of the associations for worship. They are also where the dragon boats are moored. The stamp showcases association members receiving a deity statue to their “dragon’s base”.

$5.70 Stamp – Water Parade
The Water Parade, or “Gods’ Parade” as known by the locals, takes place on the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. During the ritual, dragon boats towing sacred sampans that carry the deity statues parade through Tai O’s waterways, while residents of the stilt houses on both sides burn joss papers as offerings in the direction of the procession of the dragon boats and sacred sampans. It is the people’s wish that, through the ritual, the community will be purified and divine blessings and peace be bestowed upon both land and stilt house residents. The stamp depicts a lively scene of a dragon boat passing Tai O’s famous landmark—Tai Chung Bridge—when it tows a sacred sampan along the waterways.

$5.80 Stamp – Sending Off Deities
After the Water Parade, the dragon boats tow the sacred sampans and escort the deity statues back to their respective temples, a ritual known as Sending Off Deities. The stamp portrays members of the fishermen’s associations returning a deity statue to the temple, concluding the final ritual of the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade.

$10 Stamp Sheetlet – Water Parade
The Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade is a traditional festive celebration unique to Hong Kong and an important testament to Tai O’s history and development. The $10 stamp sheetlet vividly captures the essence of the Water Parade—dragon boats tow sacred sampans carrying deity statues and parade through the crisscrossing waterways. The background outlines Tai O’s iconic clusters of stilt houses, narrating the distinctive historical and cultural stories of this water village.

$20 Stamp Sheetlet – Dragon Boat Race
Today, dragon boating is not only a significant traditional activity of the Dragon Boat Festival but also a competitive event. Local dragon boat associations in Tai O gather for dragon boat races once the Dragon Boat Water Parade is over. The $20 stamp sheetlet depicts the passion of the participants during a dragon boat race, highlighting the speed of the boats and the power of the paddlers with a dynamic composition and vibrant colours.

Official first day covers will be put on sale at $2.5 each at all post offices from 4 June 2026. Advance orders for servicing self-provided covers will be accepted at all philatelic offices from 4 to 10 June 2026.

Stamp products include mint stamps, stamp sheets, stamp sheetlet, mini-pane, presentation pack and serviced first day cover. Serviced first day cover will be available at all philatelic offices only.

Date-stamping Arrangements

• A hand-back date-stamping service with the office date-stamp and the special postmarks will be provided on 18 June 2026 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. All philatelic offices will also provide “Philatelic Bureau” pictorial postmark and its respective philatelic office pictorial postmark. The GPO-1 date-stamp impression will only be available at the General Post Office.

• All stamp products will be available at all post offices starting from 18 June 2026 for 3 months while stock lasts.

• All stamp products will be available at Hongkong Post’s online shopping platform ShopThruPost (website: shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) starting from 18 June 2026 at 8:00 a.m. for 6 months, while stock lasts.