By Roy Mabasa More than 10,000 pieces of mostly rare Philippine stamps have been unveiled by its Chinese collector in an exhibit at the Xiamen City Museum in China’s southeastern province of Fujian. Consul General Julius Caesar A. Flores (center) co- led the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President Arsenio Lizaso (fourth from right), Foreign Affairs Office of Xiamen Municipal People’s Government Deputy Director General Yao Jainhong (fourth from left), and other VIP guests during the launching of the “Philippine Rare Stamps Exhibition” held at the Xiamen City Museum on 09 April 2019. (Xiamen PCG photo/ DFA/ MANILA BULLETIN) As part of its cultural diplomacy programs, the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen recently opened the Philippine Rare Stamps Exhibition that will run until May 8. The stamp collection belongs to Zhuo Peilin, proprietor of Huazhilin Culture Communication Co., Ltd. and a returned overseas Chinese who lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years. The exhibition, according to the Consulate General’s office, has established a milestone being the first foreign stamp exhibit held at the Xiamen City Museum and the first Philippine rare stamp exhibit in Fujian if not in the whole of China. Zhou’s over 10,000 collection of Philippine stamps cover different historical epochs from the Spanish to contemporary times. It features Philippine history, arts, culture, economy, tourism, heroes and personalities, and local and international events that were showcased in rare and contemporary first edition stamps. Among those who attended the opening were Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President Arsenio Lizaso, and Deputy Director General Yao Jianhong of the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government Foreign Affairs Office (Xiamen FAO). More than 200 guests such as members of the Filipino and Chinese business sector, media, and the academe were among those who graced the exhibit’s opening. Consul General to Xiamen Julius Caesar Flores and Lizaso delivered their respective remarks, expressing their appreciation to the Chinese stamp collector for allowing the public to see his prized collection. The Philippine officials also said they will continue to promote Philippine arts and culture in Fujian and elsewhere through exhibitions which will contribute towards the nurturing and strengthening of ties between the Philippines and China.