Scott No: -
Serial number: 2014-9
Values in set: 1
Date of issue: May 10, 2014
Denomination: 120 fen
Designer: Fan Zeng
Size of stamps:
50 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 16
Size of sheet: 240 * 150 mm
Printing process: Offset and engraving
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

The special stamp "Message by Wild Geese" was issued by China Post on May 10, 2014. It is the first stamp in the history of New China to feature the theme of letter writing. The set consists of one stamp with a face value of 1.20 yuan. The stamp depicts the story of "Su Wu Herding Sheep," featuring artwork created by specially invited artist Fan Zeng and engraved by Yin Xiaofei. The stamp was printed using a combination of offset and intaglio printing. The stamp measures 50×30 mm, with a perforation gauge of 13 degrees. Anti-counterfeiting features include anti-counterfeiting paper, anti-counterfeiting ink, shaped perforations, and fluorescent spray codes.

The theme of the stamp, "Message by Wild Geese," originates from the historical account of "Su Wu Herding Sheep" in the Book of Han. In the story, Han envoys cleverly used the pretext of wild geese delivering messages to rescue Su Wu. This tale has been passed down as a story of great virtue. In traditional Chinese culture, "fish and wild geese" were used as metaphors for letters and messengers. Wang Sengru, a poet of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties period, wrote: "A foot of plain silk (letter) in the fish's belly, a heart's devotion entrusted to the wild goose's foot." The ancients regarded wild geese as creatures of strong organization, punctuality, and loyalty, symbolizing the five virtues of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust." Thus, terms like "goose messenger" and "goose letter" were commonly used. The stamp is intended to promote China's rich tradition of letter writing and correspondence.

The stamp design employs a nine-square grid layout, with the scenes of "message by wild geese" and "Su Wu herding sheep" positioned approximately at the one-third points both horizontally and vertically. The mountain ranges in the background form a diagonal composition, while the clouds, peaks, and flying geese create a visual deconstruction. The figures are rendered in a freehand line drawing style with minimal brushwork, while the background mountains are depicted using reserved white space and simple outlines. The folds of the clothing are emphasized with heavy ink, while the mountains are painted in lighter ink tones.