2005 : "Serve the Customer Daily" China Post opens its post offices 365days a year. 服务人民每一天，中国邮政全年开门服务人群

2005 ： 苏州扬帆600周年纪念邮展 Suzhou 600th anniversary of the 1st voyage of Zheng He stamp exhibition.

It was a sunday when a group of us walked past a post office in Suzhou, glad to see that the post office opened on a Sunday and we were able to walk in to send some letters back home. Yes, China Post opens its offices 365 days a year. In Malaysia, Pos Malaysia is going backwards, the number of days of opening of  the post office is getting less ... now, you will not find a post office opens on the first Saturday of the Month. Where do we stand ?

这是一个星期天早晨，经过苏州的一间邮政局，喜见它开着门作生意。和邮友一同进了去投寄了几封致给家乡朋友的信件。感觉星期天邮局办公真是好，真方便！反观马来西亚邮政办公的天数正在缩减中，每个月的第一个星期六，再也得不到邮政服务。。我们是否在开倒车？

2005 ： Close chat with the Secretary General of the All China Philatelic Federations 与中国集邮联秘书长刘佳伟太仓相见欢

2005 ： Taicang，Suzhou, China Admiral Cheng Ho international Exhibition 苏州太仓扬帆600周年国际邮展

2005中国大事庆祝郑和下西洋600周年，邀请了马来西亚，星加坡，泰国展出邮集共襄盛举。5天的邮展真是一个国际集邮朋友的大集会。在中国邮展场合里，总会看到家喻户晓的人物-中国集邮联秘书长刘佳伟先生。

2005 China celebrated the 600th anniversary of the first voyage of Zheng He , invited Malaysia,Singapore, Thailand to jointly organise an international philatelic show at Taicang, Suzhou. It was a grand event where philatelists from these 4 countries met again to foster friendship. In all China philatelic events, there is always the presence of the Secretary General Mr. Liu Jia Wei.

2005 : knocking the No 1 Bell of the World @ HanShanSi Temple 苏州寒山寺敲打世界第一钟

2005 ： 600th Anniversary of the First Voyage of Admiral Zheng He exhibition, Taicang, China
2005 年中国太仓郑和下西洋邮展

One of the tour programmes provided by the organiser of the Taicang Philatelic Exhibition was a visit to Suzhou, and an interesting itenerary was the HanShansi - a famous temple I had read many a times in various Chinese novels and articles. There is a Bell known to be the First Bell of the World situated in a Pagoda in the temple compound. I was lured to hit this gigantic bell and experienced myself the sound resonance produced by hitting.

太仓邮展主办当局安排了官方观光节目把我们给带到邻近的苏州逛逛。其中一项重点景点是苏州寒山寺。在寺境内有个号称天下第一钟，就置在一个塔的楼阁处。亲身尝试敲响了这一个庞大的铜钟。

2005 ： Zheng He 600th Anniversary Phiatelic Exhibition @ Taicang, China 中国太仓： 郑和首航600周年纪念邮展

 

摘自中国“集邮报” excerpt from " China Philately news" 

2005 : Zheng He 600th Anniversary Phiatelic Exhibition @ Taicang, China
2005 : 中国太仓： 郑和首航600周年纪念邮展

A special international philatelic exhibition was organised by the Suzhou Post with exhibits from China-Malaysia-Thailand-Singapore  @  Taicang , the port where Admiral Zheng He began his first sail to the world.  Glad to be an invited guest to the above exhibition.

郑和下西洋600周年纪念邮展隆重与苏州太仓市举行。荣幸能够代表马来西亚参与盛典。

2005 : Zheng He 1st Voyage Philatelic Exhibition, Taicang, China 太仓扬帆高张600年邮展

 

2005：Zheng He 1st Voyage Philatelic Exhibition, Taicang, China
Official opening : 28.6.2005
Was glad to be the Malaysian National Commissioner for the philatelic exhibition held @ Taicang. I met with Mr. Tan Kan Buay from Singapore and we had become good friends subsequently. Above is a commemorative cover created by Mr. Tan a year after the exhibition.
2005 : 扬帆高张600年，中国太仓
荣幸代表马来西亚到中国太仓参与“扬帆高张600年”邮展。 在这一个邮展上，我认识了来自星加坡的陈江梅，往后我们也成了很好的朋友。 以上是陈江梅制作的一周年邮展纪念封。

2005 : Zhou Zhuang is a typical Floating City with Canals and Bridges 周庄的水道与桥梁何其多

 

2005 ： "600th Anniversary of the first Voyage of Zheng He" Philatelic Exhibition, Taicang, China

Official Tour : Zhou Zhuang 

Zhou Zhuang is surrounded by water canals, there are many stone bridges which act as pedestrian crossings between 2 canal banks. We walked through the whole of the town of Zhou Zhuang, it was really hot and dry on a summer day.  

I seldom tuck out my shirt wherever I go, BUT, for the whole trip to Zhou Zhuang, I had to tuck out my shirt, Do you know why ? Just to whisper to you, I had some problem with the zip on my pants.

2005: "郑和下西洋600年纪念”邮展，中国太仓

主办当局安排旅游项目/地点 ：周庄

周庄是一个被水道环绕着的小镇，到处可见水道和小桥。环绕周庄走了一圈，正是大夏天，天气好热。

我出门在外走动从来都不把我的上衣外露 ，这一次周庄之旅，是出于无奈。这是为什么？告诉你吧。。 我裤头的拉链坏了 。。

2005 Taicang Exhibition - Official Visit to Zhou Zhuang - Floating City of China 2005年太仓邮展，周庄水乡一游

An official tour organised for the 2005 Taicang "600th Anniversary of 1st voyage of Zheng He" Philatelic Exhibition delegates was a visit to the floating city of Zhou Zhuang. The town of which is surrounded with numerous canals, passages are by boats or bridges. Glad to find this Chinese Calligraphy writing framed and hung in one corner of the Zhou Zhuang which was written by the renown American  Architect L.M. Pei who visited the place on 6.9.1999. Architect l.M.Pei described Zhou Zhuang as a National Treasure.

2005年参与中国太仓“郑和首航600周年纪念邮展”，主办当局安排到水乡周庄一游。周庄四周环绕着的是水道，唯一交通是船和架空的桥梁。以上是一幅由世界顶尖美籍华裔建筑师贝聿铭所题的字吸引了我的注意力，它就挂在周庄的一个角落，字并不抢眼，贝聿铭其名确比其字来得响亮。贝先生把周庄形容为国宝。

2005 China-Malaysia-Singapore-Thailand Exhibition - Why Taicang ? 2005 中马新泰邮展，为何选择在太仓？

 

Exhibition Banner 显眼的启帆600年邮展红布条

When I was appointed as the National Commissioner for the Joint Philatelic Exhibition of China-Malaysia-Singapore-Thailand  held at Taicang, China from 29.6 - 1.7.2005, this exhibition was to mark the first voyage of Zheng He in 600 years ago. I came to know about the city of Taicang which was the first place where Zheng He set off his voyages to explore the world. 

2005年当我受邀为马来西亚国家征集员参与“中马新泰联合邮展”时，那是我第一次接触到“太仓”这一个名字，主办单位选择了太仓这一个特殊的地方来举办郑和邮票首发式暨邮展，是有它的道理，原来太仓是郑和在600年前第一次从这一个地方启帆走向西洋的。

29.6.2005："600th Anniversary of the 1st Voyage of Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho)" Philatelic Exhibition, Taicang, China - 《郑和下西洋六百周年》邮票发行，“扬帆高张六百年” 邮展开幕

《郑和下西洋六百周年》纪念邮票展开幕式上签名

2005年6月27 - 7月2日，身为马来西亚国家征集员受邀到中国江苏太仓参与《郑和下西洋六百周年》纪念邮票首发式，同时还举办“扬帆高张六百年——中国、马来西亚、新加坡，泰国集邮展览开幕式，这两项纪念活动火爆了这个当年七下西洋起锚地。虽然我来自热带国家，然而太仓夏季高达39温度，坐在开幕的席上，依然冒汗，叫苦连天！进入嘉宾席上，嘉宾都在一个超大型的《郑和下西洋六百周年》纪念邮票首日封白板上签名留念。

27.6 - 2.7.2005, I was appointed as the Malaysian National Commissioner invited for the official launch of the "600th Anniversary of the 1st voyage of Zheng He” and the China-Malaysia-Singapore-Thailand philatelic exhibition held at Taicang, China. Although I come from a tropical country, however, the high temperature of the opening day @ 39 deg.C was really unbearable, I was perspiring while sitting on the VIP seats in the opening ceremony gallery. As an honour guest, I was invited to place signature on a large board bearing a mock-up First Day cover of the Zheng He stamp.