Trần Hữu Huệ (man in the black suit) and his wife receive certificates from the Việt Nam Record Organisation for his stamp collection and stamp-collecting work in An Giang Province. — Photo courtesy of Trần Hữu Huệ

AN GIANG — For over 60 years, 75-year-old farmer Trần Hữu Huệ from An Giang has built a massive collection of rare stamps, covering diverse types and themes, with many of them conveying the stories of Việt Nam.

If one were to visit Huệ's house in Thoại Sơn Commune, they would immediately notice a large number of wooden cabinets, decorating his living room, staircase area and even the bedroom.

These cabinets feature leather binders housing hundreds of thousands of stamps and envelopes. Some of the stamps portray natural scenery, while others depict historical topics like the Trưng Sisters and Lady Triệu, the 1000th anniversary of Thăng Long and the history of Việt Nam's postal service. 

As he turned each page of a binder, several flower-themed stamps reminded him of the day he first began his stamp-collection journey, back when he was a 14-year-old boy. 

He said his friends introduced him to this hobby and gave him some stamps, which he still keeps to this day. 

The young Huệ then tried to find or trade with others for some stamps that he was interested in, but it was not easy. 

He shared that in the early days, good stamps were hard to find, so he used to search for them among used envelopes left at the former Long Xuyên City mail office and other places in An Giang Province. 

Then, as he grew older, he followed rice-trading trips to other provinces and cities, trading and collecting thousands of stamps and envelopes, and began to get acquainted with the domestic and international stamp-collecting communities.

One of Trần Hữu Huệ's pieces of work in his stamp collection. — Photo courtesy of Trần Hữu Huệ

To him, the stamps all tell the history of Việt Nam through its different eras.

Among the collections, he takes the most pride in those themed around the late President Hồ Chí Minh, totalling up to around 2,000 stamps issued by Việt Nam and other countries. 

It was displayed at the first National Postal Stamp Exhibition in 1998 in HCM City. Since then, he continued to build his collection and partake in numerous exhibitions, winning numerous domestic awards.

Huệ is also especially proud of a collection of stamps based on the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) and Trường Sa (Spratly) islands, which he started over three decades ago.

His collection includes two stamp sets, "Đội Hoàng Sa thế kỷ XVII – XVIII" (The Hoàng Sa Flotilla in the 17th–18th Centuries) and "Hoàng Sa và Trường Sa trong các bản đồ cổ" (Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa in Ancient Maps), with a limited number of copies available.

The envelopes with these stamps, which affirm Việt Nam’s sovereignty, have been sent out and returned by acquaintances, friends and diplomats of Việt Nam and other countries, carrying postmarks from more than 30 countries and territories across Europe, the Americas and Africa.

It has also been taken to exhibitions across the country, winning a gold prize at the third Mekong Delta Stamp Exhibition in 2018.

These treasured collections have taken him decades to complete, requiring a great deal of effort and resources, as some stamps are now priced at up to thousands of dollars.

Trần Hữu Huệ with student members of a stamp club at Núi Sập Town Secondary School in An Giang Province. — Photo courtesy of Trần Hữu Huệ

In addition to collecting, he also hopes to pass on his passion to the next generation, helping them better understand history and culture through stamps.

He established a stamp club at Núi Sập Town Secondary School in An Giang Province in 2008 for local students, with meetups held regularly every Friday.

“This is not only just a space that helps children learn about stamps, but it is also a way for them to better understand the history and culture of Việt Nam and the world through the stories that stamps carry.” 

For his achievements, he has received record certifications from the Vietnam Record Organisation (VietKings) for: "The largest collection of Vietnamese and world postage stamps on cultural, historical and everyday-life themes, which has been exhibited and won multiple domestic and international awards."

He was also recognised for his 60-year journey of researching and collecting postage stamps from Việt Nam and other countries, along with his work in developing stamp communities in schools and temples for 20 years (from 2006 to present). — VNS