Background

On May 5,2001,State Post Bureau issued a set of four special stamps,with a total face value of 5 yuan.The titles of the stamps are respectively:Lady Queen Mother,Jade Lady Presenting Treasure,Celestial Worthy of the East,Venus and Mercury.

Yongle in Ruicheng County of Shanxi is a grand Taoist temple built in the Yuan Dynasty.Fine murals in its various halls cover about 1,000 wquare meters.The "portrait of Paying Homeage to the Xuanyuan Emperor" in the Sanqing Hall depicts nearly 300 Taoist deities in extraordinarily dignisied and impressive appearance.The mural,based on traditional paintings of the same kind and drawing on their essence,vividly represents a complete picture of Taoist deities.The characters,painted in different postures and arranged in well-designed layout,the bright colors and smooth lines,all add up to make the mural a masterpiece in the history of Chinese painting.The stamps represent parts of the "Portrait of Paying Homeage to the Xuanyuan Emperor."

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