Every year on January 5th, the local post offices will become a scene on the streets around the waxing moon, and the long queue at the door reminds people that this year's Zodiac stamps are officially issued, whether they are philatelic enthusiasts or not, they are willing to go over and take a look.
This year's "Year of Nongyin" zodiac tiger stamps are no exception, and some people even start waiting in line at 3 a.m. to buy them.
2022 "Year of Nongyin" Zodiac Tiger Stamp - National Fortune Changlong
2022 "Year of Nongyin" Zodiac Tiger Stamps - Tiger Yun auspicious
Why do people who rarely write letters to convey their feelings still obsess over this square-inch stamp?
In the past, a postage stamped and postmarked letter had to be unfolded in the hands of the recipient, without knowing how many postmen had to go through, how many carriages and horses, and how many pages of the calendar could be unfolded. But it is this method of communication, mixed with caution, the unknown and expectations, that carries the emotions and memories of generations of people.
Nowadays, people love stamps and are keen to collect stamps, which is not only a continuation of this emotion and memory, but also gradually becomes a joy of life - a stamp with an all-encompassing theme and ingenious design, like a miniature museum, showing a rich historical and cultural story in every inch, holding it in your hand, endlessly interesting.
1980 "Year of Gengshen" zodiac monkey stamp
For example, the most popular monkey stamp, it is the first zodiac stamp issued by the mainland in 1980, with pioneering historical significance, without it there will be no new themes such as zodiac stamps, so the monkey ticket has an unshakable status, but also by philatelic enthusiasts as the "king of tickets".
There is also the "Jingdezhen Porcelain" special stamp issued in 1991, a set of six pieces, presenting six representative porcelain treasures from the Song Dynasty to the modern era. Four of them are national first-class cultural relics, namely the Qingbai glaze zhulu of the Song Dynasty, the blue and white chasing Han XinTu mei vase of the Yuan Dynasty, the colorful cloud dragon pattern lid jar of the Ming Dynasty, and the colorful flower and bird pattern zun of the Qing Dynasty. The other two pieces of blue and white glazed red carp plates and alum red gold chandelier pattern octagonal thin tire bowls are made for modern firing, reflecting the inheritance and development of ancient craftsmanship in the modern Jingdezhen porcelain industry. This set of stamps was awarded the "1991 Best Stamp".
1991 Jingdezhen Porcelain Special Stamp
As well as the special issue of 2006 "Four Treasures of the Study Room" silk stamp small plate, it is the first set of silk stamps in the mainland, exquisite design, ingenious conception, great appreciation value, by philatelic enthusiasts affectionately known as "big silk".
The stamps present the lake pen produced in Shanlian Town, Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, the Hui ink from Shezhou (present-day Shexian County), Anhui Province, the Rice Paper from Xuanzhou Prefecture (present-day Jing County, Anhui), and the Duanyan from Duanxi, the eastern suburb of Duanzhou (present-day Zhaoqing City), Guangdong Province, to represent the important role played by "pen, ink, paper and Yan" stationery in the inheritance of Chinese civilization.
2006 "Four Treasures of The Study Room" special stamps
On the occasion of the change of the old year and the New Year, following the 2020 Year of the Rat and the 2021 Year of the Ox Zodiac Stamp Album, the Guanfu Museum and China Post jointly launched the 2022 Year of the Year of the Cat and Tiger Wei "Cat Born Tiger Wei" New Year Commemorative Stamp Album, which contains a wealth of traditional cultural theme stamps such as the Year of the Tiger and the Spring Festival.
In Chinese culture and art, the tiger can be said to be an important symbol second only to the dragon and the phoenix, with meanings such as heavenly descending auspicious rui, such as tiger wings, town house guarding home, driving away evil spirits and avoiding evil, so the stamps showing the tiger are very rich.
For example, the "Siberian Tiger" special stamp issued in 1979, a full set of three, using traditional ink painting techniques, respectively depicted the image of the Siberian tiger leading the neck and roaring, clinging to each other, and hunting food. The first round of "Year of Propylene" zodiac tiger stamps issued in 1986 absorbed the elements of folk paper-cut plastic art and was full of childlike fun.
1979 Siberian Tiger Special Stamp
1986 "Year of Ying Yin" Zodiac Tiger Stamps
There is also a special stamp of "South China Tiger" issued in 2004, a set of two stamps, using delicate and realistic brush strokes to show the majesty of the South China Tiger. This set of stamps and the first round of Zodiac Tiger stamps issued in 1986 are included in the "Cats and Tigers" stamp album, which can be held in the hand to see its style.
2004 South China Tiger Special Stamp
As a relative of the tiger, of course, it is indispensable to the shining appearance of the Guanfu cat, based on the "Guanfu Cat - The Year of the Tiger" stamp designed by Ma Dudu, who has a tiger posture, which skillfully integrates the cat and the tiger, and Ma Dudu wears a tiger head hat, embraces the little tiger, folds the fan and gently shakes, and writes four big characters "The Year of the Tiger".
The stamp album also interprets the Year of the Tiger and tiger culture from multiple angles through a number of tiger cultural relics collected by the Guanfu Museum, such as the white jade carved double tiger pattern Qiushan Pei of the Jin Dynasty, the blue-glazed Crouching Tiger oil lamp of the Jin Dynasty, and the black brown color tiger pillow of the Cizhou kiln in the Jin Dynasty.
Jin Dynasty White jade skillfully carved double tiger pattern Qiushan Pei
Collection of the Guanfu Museum
Jin Dynasty blue glazed Crouching Tiger shaped oil lamp
Jin Dynasty Cizhou kiln black brown color tiger pillow
It is currently on display at the Beijing Pavilion
In addition, the "1991 Excellent Stamps" mentioned above, the special stamps of "Jingdezhen Porcelain", as well as special stamps with the characteristics of the New Year, such as "Mandarin Duck", "Dragon and Tiger Mountain", "Gold and SilverWare", "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter", and "Fengxiang Wooden Board New Year Painting", are also included in the stamp album.