Former greats of Canto-pop stamp their soul on Hong Kong

If there was ever any doubt pop stars like Anita Mui Yim-fong and Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing had left their mark on Hong Kong, it has been swept away by the postmaster-general issuing commemorative stamps to honour some late, great Canto-pop idols.

The stamps, entitled 'Hong Kong Pop Singers', will be issued on November 8, the first time Hongkong Post has released stamps featuring popular singers.

Pride of place on the most expensive stamp in the set, the $5 stamp, goes to actress and singer Mui. Her death in December 2003, following a battle with cervical cancer, plunged Hong Kong fans into mourning.

Her death came just months after another Hong Kong favourite, 46-year-old Cheung leapt to his death from the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central. His image appears on a $3 stamp.

Roman Tam Pak-sin, the 'Emperor of the Stage' who died of liver cancer in October 2002 aged 57, will be featured on the $2.40 stamp.

Danny Chan Pak-keung, 35, who is on the $1.80 stamp, died in October 1993 after falling into a coma 17 months earlier. Wong Ka-kui, lead singer with the Hong Kong band Beyond, was just 31 when he died from head injuries sustained after falling from a two-metre-high stage in a Tokyo television studio. He will appear on the $1.40 stamp.