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1996 Year of Rat
Item location: China
Ships to: Worldwide
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Technical details:
Scott No: 2641-42
Serial number: 1996-1
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: January 5, 1996
Designers: Lu Zhengzhong
Size: 26*31mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 32
Printing process: gravure-engraving combined
Scott No: 2641-42
Serial number: 1996-1
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: January 5, 1996
Designers: Lu Zhengzhong
Size: 26*31mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 32
Printing process: gravure-engraving combined
 SN: (2-1) Title: A brightly lit noght, a bright future Values: 50 fen Size: 26*31mm Type: T(Mint) | |
| SN: (2-2) Title: A national celebration of the Bing-Zi Year Values: 50 fen Size: 26*31mm Type: T(Mint) |
Background info
The way of designating years by the heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches has been very poplar among the Chinese people even up till now.
There are ten Heavenly Stems: Jia, the first of the ten Heavenly Stems; Yi, the second of the ten Heavenly Stems; Bing, the third of the ten Heavenly Stems; Ding, the fourth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Wu, the fifth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Ji, the sixth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Geng, the seventh of the ten Heavenly Stems; Xi, the eighth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Ren, the ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems and Gui, the last of the ten Heavenly Stems; and the twelve Earthly Branches include the Zi (first), Chou (second), Yin (third), Mao (fourth), Chen (fifth), Si (sixth), Wu (seventh), Wei (eighth), Shen (ninth), You (tenth), Xu (eleventh) and Hai, the last of the twelve Earthly Branches. The ten Heavenly Stems, used as serial numbers and also in combination with the twelve Earthly Branches, form 60 groups to designate years, months and days, going around and beginning again repeatedly. Today's Chinese lunar year is designated by using the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
Shengxiao means the 12 symbolic animals associated with 12-year cycle ( the 12 Earthly Branches), which are often used to denote the year of a person's birth. The 12 animals are: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog and hog. For example, a person born in the first of the 12 Earthly Branches is said to be born in the year of the rat; the second of the 12 Earthly Branches, the year of the ox. The customs have been very poplar among Chinese in China and Southeast Asia.
In nature world the rat is an animal which does harm to human beings. But in ancient legends, such as "A rat jumping on a lamp stand", "Rats marrying a daughter", rats are happy and auspicious animals. Among the 12 symbolic animals, the rat stands the first, giving the shengxiao a special significance.
The way of designating years by the heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches has been very poplar among the Chinese people even up till now.
There are ten Heavenly Stems: Jia, the first of the ten Heavenly Stems; Yi, the second of the ten Heavenly Stems; Bing, the third of the ten Heavenly Stems; Ding, the fourth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Wu, the fifth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Ji, the sixth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Geng, the seventh of the ten Heavenly Stems; Xi, the eighth of the ten Heavenly Stems; Ren, the ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems and Gui, the last of the ten Heavenly Stems; and the twelve Earthly Branches include the Zi (first), Chou (second), Yin (third), Mao (fourth), Chen (fifth), Si (sixth), Wu (seventh), Wei (eighth), Shen (ninth), You (tenth), Xu (eleventh) and Hai, the last of the twelve Earthly Branches. The ten Heavenly Stems, used as serial numbers and also in combination with the twelve Earthly Branches, form 60 groups to designate years, months and days, going around and beginning again repeatedly. Today's Chinese lunar year is designated by using the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
Shengxiao means the 12 symbolic animals associated with 12-year cycle ( the 12 Earthly Branches), which are often used to denote the year of a person's birth. The 12 animals are: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog and hog. For example, a person born in the first of the 12 Earthly Branches is said to be born in the year of the rat; the second of the 12 Earthly Branches, the year of the ox. The customs have been very poplar among Chinese in China and Southeast Asia.
In nature world the rat is an animal which does harm to human beings. But in ancient legends, such as "A rat jumping on a lamp stand", "Rats marrying a daughter", rats are happy and auspicious animals. Among the 12 symbolic animals, the rat stands the first, giving the shengxiao a special significance.
Related items
1996-2 Scott 2646 The 3rd Asian Winter Games
1996-3 Scott 2649 Shenyang Imperial Palace
1996-4 Scott 2650-54 The Centenary Birthday of Post of China
1996-5 Scott 2655-60 Selected Works of Huang Binhong
1996-6 Scott 2665-70 Potted Landscapes
1996-7 Scott 2671-74 Cycads
1996-2 Scott 2646 The 3rd Asian Winter Games 1996-3 Scott 2649 Shenyang Imperial Palace 1996-4 Scott 2650-54 The Centenary Birthday of Post of China 1996-5 Scott 2655-60 Selected Works of Huang Binhong 1996-6 Scott 2665-70 Potted Landscapes 1996-7 Scott 2671-74 Cycads China stamps indexed by year
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