Tran Huu Hue’s passion for philately has turned into a patriotic mission, preserving Vietnam’s sovereignty and Ho Chi Minh’s legacy through rare stamps.
Over decades of collecting, Tran Huu Hue has acquired numerous rare stamp sets, including collections that chronicle the life and legacy of President Ho Chi Minh and assert Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.
The guardian of precious stamps
Tran Huu Hue presenting his stamp collection. Photo: Tran Tuyen
Every Saturday afternoon at Nui Sap Town Middle School, 75-year-old Tran Huu Hue from Thoai Son District, An Giang Province, joins other members of the local stamp club to passionately introduce students to Vietnamese heritage through small but meaningful postage stamps.
Each session ends with a quiz. The prize for every correct answer is a stamp - a small gift the students cherish like a treasure.
For years, these sessions have not only provided a healthy, engaging space for students but also sparked national pride and deepened gratitude for the generations who sacrificed for Vietnam’s independence and unification.
Hue's passion for stamps began in secondary school. Back then, the young Hue couldn’t explain why he was so fascinated by the tiny illustrated squares, often “fighting” his friends to get them. Every day, he would stop by the local government office, post office, or school administration to collect used stamps.
“My favorite stamps are the ones featuring President Ho Chi Minh,” he recalled. “To find the ‘VIP’ stamps, I used to write letters to other collectors or take buses to Saigon to buy them. Some of these stamps cost as much as several sacks of rice.”
In 1998, after nearly 20 years of tireless hunting, Hue completed a collection of 400 stamps on Ho Chi Minh issued by both Vietnam and other countries, along with dozens of envelopes themed “Ho Chi Minh - The Most Beautiful Name.”
The collection later expanded into a more comprehensive set titled “Ho Chi Minh - Life and Legacy.” When first exhibited, the collection won a bronze medal at the 2005 National Philatelic Exhibition in Hanoi.
According to Hue, stamps featuring Ho Chi Minh reflect the changing themes and printing techniques over time. For example, the 1946 portrait set includes five designs printed on thin rice paper, in green, red, yellow, blue, and purple.
Pointing to a stamp known as the “rice stamp,” the elderly farmer explained it features Ho Chi Minh and dates back to around 1951-1952. These stamps were for official use by government agencies. At the time, the value wasn’t measured in currency but rather in rice - each stamp equivalent to 300 grams of rice.
The stamp was handcrafted and lacked the perforated edges of modern stamps, which adds to its historical and temporal significance.
“To this day, no one in the stamp community knows exactly how many of these were printed. The ‘rice stamp’ still holds many mysteries, like who designed it and who came up with the idea to use rice as a medium of exchange,” Hue shared.
“Someone once offered over 2,000 USD for it, but I refused. I love stamps too much - and if I sold it, I might never find such a valuable one again.”
The service stamp was printed and issued by the Inter-zone 5 Post Office during 1951–1952. Photo: Tran TuyenOfficial stamped envelope sent by the former Phu Tho Provincial Committee for Storm and Flood Prevention to the Prime Minister's Office on August 9, 1959. Photo: Tran TuyenThe “Hoang Sa Fleet” 17th-18th century stamp collected by Hue. Photo: Tran TuyenEnvelopes bearing stamps affirming Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty sent to countries worldwide. Photo: Tran Tuyen
He shared that stamps still attached to envelopes carry significant historical value because they reflect the circumstances of their issuance.
Among his vast collection, Hue holds in highest regard a special set of stamps affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands. The collection is divided into two parts: “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa belong to Vietnam” and “The world recognizes Hoang Sa, Truong Sa as part of Vietnam.”
He plans to exhibit this collection on Vietnam’s National Day, September 2, in An Giang.
The highlight of the collection is the stamp “Hoang Sa Fleet of the 17th-18th centuries,” designed by artist Tran Luong and printed in color in early 1988 at the Postal Stamp Printing Enterprise.
The 10 VND (about $0.40) stamp depicts a soldier from the “Hoang Sa Fleet” rowing a wind-filled sailboat, holding a horn.
The collection also includes 77 envelopes bearing stamps affirming Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty, sent across many countries and territories worldwide.
“Stamps about the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos are not expensive, but they are invaluable because they represent our national sovereignty,” the farmer from the Mekong Delta shared.
In recognition of Hue’s contributions to promoting stamp collecting and advancing Vietnam’s postal philately, in 2022, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung (now Minister of Science and Technology) awarded him a certificate of merit.
After decades dedicated to stamps, Hue is not only known as the “stamp-loving farmer” of An Giang but also as a guardian who keeps alive the love for homeland and nation through each small yet powerful stamp.
Vietnamnet.vn
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