亲爱的收藏者：
   2001年7月13日，当第29届奥林匹克运动会的主办权被宣布授予北京时，中国和整个世界都沉浸在无比的喜悦之中。从那个具有纪念意义的日子开始，中国就一直在孜孜不倦地工作，迎接来自世界各地的运动员，开展各种奥运文化活动。
   1896年，当第1届现代奥运会即将拉开帷幕之时，奥运邮票已然成为这一盛事的先行者，它将复兴奥运会的信息传遍了世界的每一个角落，甚至到达了遥远的新西兰。此后，用邮票宣传奥运就成为了一种传统，从一个国家传播到世界各地。今年，100多个国家、地区和国际奥委会的成员将通过邮票共同见证北京2008年奥运会。
   发行奥运邮票和举办与之相关的奥林匹克集邮活动，是随奥运会与奥林匹克运动相伴而生的、独一无二的文化经济活动。即使在硝烟弥漫的第一、二次世界大战期间，举办国依然做好了发行奥运邮票的准备，遗憾的是，最终没能发行。尽管1916年第6届奥林匹克运动会因故未能如愿举行，但当时仍然有人请求我们尊敬的“现代奥林匹克之父”——皮埃尔·德·顾拜旦批准发行为那届奥运会创作的邮票。
   《第29届奥林匹克运动会世界邮票大全》是国际奥委会特许制作的精美邮品，展示了来自世界100多个参赛国家和地区发行的邮票；它们将诠释这些国家及地区的奥运视野、参与奥运会的自豪感和与奥运相关的民族艺术。除向世人展示奥林匹克集邮史外，这本邮册还重现了各参赛国的奥运历史。
   作为国际奥委会主席，我衷心地向该邮册的编辑、出版人员表示祝贺，你们出色地完成了这部鸿篇巨制！同时，我也希望收藏者因拥有这部宝典而如愿以偿！ 

Dear collector,
   The joy was huge and overwhelming in China and worldwide on July 13, 2001, when the Games of the XXIX Olympiad were awarded to Beijing. Since that memorable day, the PRC has worked continuously to welcome the athletes of the world and many cultural and Olympic oriented activities.
   The first harbingers of the Games of theⅠOlympiad in 1896 were the Olympic stamps that brought the message of the renovation of the Olympic Games to all corners of the world – as far as New Zealand on that day. This tradition grew and from one country announcing the games through stamps, more than one hundreds countries, regions and IOC territories will commemorate the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
   Olympic stamps and related Olympic Philately was the only exclusive cultural and financial companion of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement. Even during the sad period of WWⅠand WWⅡ, Olympic stamps were ready, but not issued. Our founder, Pierre de Coubertin was even asked to approve the stamps intended for the Games of the VI Olympiad in 1916, which were not celebrated.
   The “Official World-Wide Postage Stamp Collection for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad”, an official IOC product, will include Olympic stamps from more than 100 participating countries and National Olympic Committees; they will represent the national Olympic vision, its pride of participating in the games and national art related to the games. The collection will also tell the philatelic history of past games and details about each participating NOC.
   In my capacity of President of the IOC, I would like to congratulate the editors and publishers of this gigantic collection and also wish full satisfaction to these collectors who will proudly own the collection.