HONG KONG - Hongkong Post Monday announced that a set of special stamps with the theme of "Beijing 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events" would be released here on August 9, the day the event kicks off.

According to a press release from Hongkong Post, associated stamp products will also be on sale from August 9.

This set of stamps is issued to celebrate the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (Games of the XXIX Olympiad) being held in August and Hong Kong's very special honor of hosting the equestrian events, which mark this milestone in the sports achievements of the city, the press release said.

The stamps and the associated stamp products are Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Licensed Products with the imprint of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad emblem, it said.

Official First Day Covers at one HK dollars each will be put on sale at all post offices from July 26. This set of stamps and the associated philatelic products will be displayed at the General Post Office and Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin Central Post Offices from the same day. Advance orders for servicing self- provided covers will be accepted at all philatelic offices from July 26 to August 1.

Two limited edition products - Prestige Crystal Blocks Gift Set and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Limited Edition Prestige Stamp Album - will also be on sale at 37 philatelic offices with limited stocks available.

The Prestige Crystal Blocks Gift Set contains a souvenir sheet and a set of four Austrian crystal blocks with 3-D illustration of the image depicted on the four mint stamps. It is a very prestige gift set on this memorable occasion.

The Limited Edition Prestige Stamp Album is another collection of Hong Kong philatelic items about the 2008 Olympic Games starting from Beijing's successful bidding, the torch relay, to the staging of the Olympic Equestrian Events in Hong Kong. The album is issued in a limited edition of 6,000 copies with a certificate.