French post offices in China
Encyclopedia
The French post offices in China were among the post office
s maintained by foreign powers in China
around the beginning of the 20th century. The French government issued special postage stamp
s for these offices beginning in 1894, initially for all the offices, then overprint
ed with the name of the city in which the post office was located. Seven post offices had these overprints (here written as they appeared on the stamps):
The post offices were closed in 1921, with the exception of Kwangchowan, which had been leased in 1898 and was not formally returned to China until 1946.
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
s maintained by foreign powers in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
around the beginning of the 20th century. The French government issued special postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s for these offices beginning in 1894, initially for all the offices, then overprint
Overprint
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp or banknote after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail...
ed with the name of the city in which the post office was located. Seven post offices had these overprints (here written as they appeared on the stamps):
- CantonGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
(1901-1919) - Hoi HaoHaikouHǎikǒu , is the capital and most populous city of Hainan Province, in the People's Republic of China. It is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River...
(1901-1919) - KwangchowanKwang-Chou-WanKwang-Chou-Wan was a small enclave on the south coast of China ceded by Qing China to France as a leased territory, and ruled by France as an outlier of French Indo-China...
(1906-1941) - Mongtseu (1903-1919)
- Pakhoi (1903-1919)
- Tchongking (1903-1919)
- Yunnan Fou (1903-1919)
The post offices were closed in 1921, with the exception of Kwangchowan, which had been leased in 1898 and was not formally returned to China until 1946.
Sources
- Stanley Gibbons Ltd: various catalogues
- Encyclopaedia of Postal History
- Stuart Rossiter & John Flower: The Stamp Atlas
- Dr. Jérôme Chane-Tune, Bureaux français et indochinois en Chine. Essai de nomenclature des timbres à date des bureaux de poste (1863-1922) [French and Indochinese PO in China - comprehensive and practical nomenclature of the datestamps used (1863 - 1922)] , Colfra Editions, Paris, 2005. http://membres.lycos.fr/jchane/HScolfra.html