Myanmar Tea Commemorative Stamp

Myanmar Post issued a souvenir sheet on 26 February 2026 to commemorate Myanmar Tea, highlighting the country’s long-standing tea culture and its agricultural heritage.

Tea culture originated in Asia and has been deeply rooted in Myanmar for centuries. In Myanmar, tea is primarily cultivated in Shan State. The tea plantation depicted on the souvenir sheet is the Oolong tea plantation located in the Tah Moe Hnye region, Kutkai Township, Northern Shan State.

Traditionally, tea in Myanmar is consumed in two principal forms: pickled tea leaves and dried (green) tea leaves. Pickled tea leaves (laphet), produced through fermentation and careful preparation, are used to make the well-known tea leaf salad (Laphet Thoke), mixed with various ingredients such as beans, nuts, sesame, garlic, and oil. Dried tea leaves, on the other hand, are brewed to produce plain green tea, a staple beverage in daily life and social gatherings.

This is the second time Myanmar Post has issued stamps under the theme of flora. The first issue was the Myanmar Black Orchid and Seintalone Mango stamps released in 2004.

The Myanmar Tea souvenir sheet was denominated at 200 Kyats, perforation 14, and printed in four-colour offset by Wazi Security Printing Works, Myanmar. A total of 300,000 sheets were produced. The photographs used for the design were provided by Thiha Lwin (TMH), and the overall design was prepared by Myanmar Post.

An official First Day Cover (FDC), sold at 600 Kyats, without the stamp affixed, was made available by Myanmar Post. Collectors were required to purchase the empty cover separately, affix the souvenir sheet themselves, and obtain the first day cancellation. First day cancellations were available at Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, and Mandalay, consistent with other recent stamp issues.

Postcard Story : The Lion Throne of Burma

The Lion Throne, also known as the Sihasana or Thihathana Palin (Burmese: သီဟသနပလ္လင်, meaning “lion throne”), was the most distinguished of the eight imperial thrones used by the Burmese monarchs. Each throne served a specific ceremonial function within the royal court, but the Lion Throne stood above the others as the principal symbol of sovereignty and kingship.

Publisher: D.A. Ahuja

Its use was strictly ceremonial and governed by elaborate court protocol. The throne was occupied only three times each year: at the beginning of the Burmese New Year, and at the commencement and conclusion of the Buddhist Lent. These occasions reflected both royal authority and religious devotion. Anyone wishing to present a gift to the king was required first to seek permission from the Chief Eunuch and then from the king himself. Once approval was granted, the presenter had to touch the throne with the right hand only—since the left hand was regarded as inferior—before offering the gift.

Publisher: American Baptist Mission Press

Tragically, seven of the eight royal thrones were destroyed by fire during the Allied bombing of Burma in the Second World War. The Lion Throne alone survived. Its preservation was largely due to historical circumstance: following the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885, the throne was transported to India after the fall of King Thibaw. It remained there for more than sixty-two years before being repatriated to newly independent Burma in 1948.

Today, the Lion Throne is preserved and displayed at the National Museum of Myanmar (Yangon), where it remains one of the most important surviving symbols of the Konbaung dynasty and Burma’s royal heritage.

Dubai 2026 World Stamp Exhibition

Myanmar proudly participated in the Dubai 2026 World Stamp Exhibition, held from 4–8 February 2026 at the Sheikh Maktoum Hall, World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The exhibition was organised by the Emirates Philatelic Association (EPA) and featured a total of 452 competitive exhibits from around the world.

Representing Myanmar in the Literature Class, U Thiha Lwin exhibited his book Myanmar Postage Stamp and was awarded a Large Silver medal, scoring 75 points.

In addition, the Myanmar Philatelic Society exhibited its journal The Burma StaMPS, Volume 3 (2024), which received a Silver medal with 71 points.

I warmly congratulate U Thiha Lwin and the Myanmar Philatelic Society on these commendable international achievements. Their success reflects the continued progress of Myanmar philatelic literature on the world stage.

World Food Day Stamps, 1981

The World Food Day commemorative set was issued on 16 October 1981 and printed by the Wazi Security Printing Works, Myanmar.

The stamps were produced by offset lithography, perforated 14, and measure 42 × 30 mm. They were printed in sheets of 50 (5 × 10 format) on unwatermarked white wove paper with white gum.

The set comprises three denominations:

• 25 pyas

• 50 pyas

• 1 kyat

A total of 1,000,000 stamps were printed for each of the 25 pyas and 50 pyas values, while only 100,000 copies were produced for the 1 kyat denomination, making it the scarcer value within the set.

The designs were prepared by the Design Department of Wazi Security Printing Works. 

First Day Cover