Year of the Dragon zodiac stamps will be unveiled at Li Shutong’s Former Residence Memorial Hall
China Post is scheduled to officially issue a set of 2 special stamps “Jiachen Year” on January 5, 2024. In order to cooperate with the issuance of special stamps, at 9:30 a.m. on January 5, Tianjin Post will join hands with the Li Shutong Former Residence Memorial Hall to jointly hold the “Tianlong Xing Jianjin Xiuhua Chapter” and “Jiachen Year” special stamps and themed postcard launch event in the museum. At that time, the fourth round of zodiac dragon stamps “Jiachen Year” special stamps will officially meet the general public, and Ms. Li Lijuan, the granddaughter of Li Shutong (Master Hongyi) will also be a guest at the event.
Tianjin is the birthplace of China’s first set of dragon-themed stamps, the Dalong Stamps. This time, on the occasion of the official release of another set of Chinese stamps – the “Jiachen Year” zodiac dragon stamps, Tianjin Post and Li Shutong’s Former Residence Memorial Hall jointly held a launch event, aiming to vigorously promote Chinese traditional culture and strengthen the nation. Cultural confidence, carefully create a cultural feast for the people of the city, and promote the prosperity and development of Tianjin’s cultural undertakings.
On the same day, postcards with the theme of “Tianlong Xingjianjin Xiuhua Chapter” jointly created by Tianjin Post and Li Shutong’s Former Residence Memorial Hall and a variety of Year of the Dragon themed philatelic cultural products will be released simultaneously. At the same time, the dragon-character seal cutting art work of “Master Hongyi” will be used as the theme. Special postal stamps such as exclusive commemorative postmarks that mainly express the elements, first-day stamps of special “Jiachen Year” stamps. There will also be a special area at the launch site, where postal staff will provide stamping services for philatelic enthusiasts. At the same time, Tianjin Station Post Office (Laolongtou Railway Station), Ninghe Yuelong Post Office, Jizhou Chengguan Post Office and other places will also jointly carry out stamp issuance activities.
It is reported that the “Jiachen Year” special stamps come in a set of two. The pattern draws on the cultural genes of the classic dragon images of China’s past dynasties, combines the cultural characteristics of the zodiac and the artistic characteristics of the stamps, and uses the design language of graphic decoration to interpret the new era and new history. The image of the dragon in the period reflects the cultural heritage of self-confidence and self-improvement in the new era. The picture is simple and bright, the colors are festive and auspicious, and it means auspiciousness and beauty.
The first picture on the stamp is titled “Heavenly Dragon Walking in Strength”, which shows a golden dragon with its head held high and working hard, symbolizing the spirit of vigor and constant self-improvement. Its image and posture are derived from the Nine Dragon Wall of the Forbidden City, which is flexible and graceful without losing its sincerity and majesty. The golden dragon is decorated with auspicious flames and auspicious cloud patterns, and is set against a Chinese red background, showing a beautiful picture of auspiciousness, peace, blessings and good luck; the second picture is titled “Chen Dragon Presents Auspiciousness”, and the stamp pattern is derived from traditional Chinese auspicious patterns. “Xianglong Gongbi”. The overall picture and the shape of the stamp form a “round sky and square earth” pattern, which is harmonious and solemn. The central jade biscuit has the two characters “Xiangrui” combined with the text, which means peace, perfection, happiness and health. The Ruyi pattern on the top conveys the meaning of harmony and auspiciousness, while the water patterns, cloud patterns and dragon images on the bottom jointly show the grand scene of dragons rising all over the world, expressing the good wishes of good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people. The two stamps mainly feature the classic three colors of red, gold and black, reflecting the grandeur, nobility, auspiciousness and joy, and complement each other with movement and stillness.