This stamp originates from French Indochina’s “La Jonque” series, depicting a traditional Chinese sailing junk gliding across calm waters. The distinctive black overprint “KOUANG-TCHÉOU” marks its use in the Kouang-Tchéou Bay, a French-leased territory on China’s southern coast (near modern Zhanjiang, Guangdong). Overprints like this distinguished the colony’s postal issues from those of the wider Indochina administration.

Collector’s Note:
Kouang-Tchéou overprints are prized among colonial philatelists for their rarity and historical context, representing France’s brief territorial presence in China. Varieties in font, spacing, and color of overprint are known and sought after.