Scott No: 3467-70
Serial number: 2006-2
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: January 11, 2006
Denomination: 320 fen
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of stamps: 30*40 mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition:
Sheet I: 20, 150*240 mm;
Sheet II: 8(2 sets), 120*210 mm
M/S size: 170*80 mm
Printing process: Engraving and offset
Printing House: Henan Post & Telecommunications Printing Works

This stamp set was issued on January 22, 2006. It consists of four stamps with a total face value of 3.20 yuan, designed by Wang Huming, with Shi Yuan serving as the responsible editor, and printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory using a combination of offset and intaglio (engraving) printing.

Wuqiang woodblock New Year prints, a national intangible cultural heritage from Hengshui, Hebei, are one of China's four major New Year print traditions. This stamp set, as the concluding issue of the traditional woodblock New Year print series, features four classic folk prints, capturing the bold lines and rich, vibrant colors characteristic of Wuqiang prints. It conveys New Year blessings, preserving and showcasing this treasure of northern Chinese folk art.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Four Seasons of Peace

The stamp features a round and lively boy holding a coin in one hand and a lotus and peony branch in the other, with ornate and colorful clothing. The flowers and coins symbolize wishes for peace and prosperity, making it a classic folk blessing print.

Five Blessings at the Door

The stamp depicts a boy holding a scroll with auspicious inscriptions, with a rooster standing beside him. The dominant red color creates a festive atmosphere, symbolizing the arrival of blessings and good fortune, reflecting the people's hopes for the new year.

Blossoming Wealth

The stamp features a vase filled with peonies, chrysanthemums, and winter plum blossoms, with ornate decorative patterns. The peonies symbolize wealth and prosperity, while the overall image conveys wishes for a prosperous and flourishing family.

Lion Playing with a Ball

The stamp depicts a lively and playful lion with vibrant, exaggerated colors, playing with a ball. In folk culture, the lion is a symbol of good fortune, representing the warding off of evil and the arrival of happiness and peace.

Artistic and Design Features

The four stamps share a uniform vertical format, using the combined offset and intaglio technique to reproduce the texture of ancient prints. The engraved lines are strong and rustic, preserving the high saturation and strong contrast of Wuqiang prints. The stamps are available in multiple formats, including large sheet, miniature sheet, and New Year redemption souvenir sheet, with border decorations featuring print motifs. The set continues the unified folk design language of the four major woodblock New Year print stamp series.

This stamp set is part of the Chinese folk woodblock New Year print series, available in multiple collectible formats. Collectors often collect the four major New Year print sets—Yangliuqing, Taohuawu, Yangjiabu, and Wuqiang—to form a complete thematic collection, making this a classic item in folk and intangible cultural heritage-themed stamp collections.