Scott No: -
Serial number: 2017-1
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: January 5, 2017
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Han Minglin
Engraver: Liu Minghui， Hao Ou
Size of stamps: 36 * 36 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
6 for Sheet II
Size of sheet:
168 * 196 mm for Sheet I;
128 * 180 mm for Sheet II
Printing process: Offset and Engraving
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Year of the Rooster (Ding You Year) is a special zodiac stamp issued by China Post on January 5, 2017, with the catalog number 2017-1. It is the second set of the fourth series of Chinese zodiac stamps, consisting of 2 stamps in a complete set.

2017 is the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese lunar calendar, corresponding to the Ding You Year. Since ancient times, roosters have been closely linked to human life. The crow of a rooster at dawn signals the break of day, reminding people of the start of a new day. Known as the "virtuous bird", roosters keep their promise to crow at daybreak regardless of sunshine or rain, cold or heat, thus earning people’s trust. Moreover, the Chinese character for "rooster" (ji) is a homophone of the character for "auspiciousness" (ji), which makes the rooster a common protagonist in folk art forms such as paper-cutting and New Year paintings.

The design concept of the Year of the Rooster (Ding You Year) zodiac stamp set centers on the notions of "nation" and "family". The first stamp depicts a striding rooster in vigorous motion, symbolizing the rapid development of the country and embodying the concept of "nation". The second stamp features a scene of a hen with her chicks, representing a happy and harmonious family and conveying the concept of "family". The entire set also carries the theme of "family reunion". In addition, the stamp set boasts vivid colors, smooth lines, lifelike imagery and great aesthetic appeal. The overall design perfectly integrates the form and spirit of the zodiac rooster with the profound affection for one’s family and country, achieving a fine balance between artistic value and cultural connotation and thus ranking as a classic work.

The Year of the Rooster (Ding You Year) zodiac stamp set adopts a new type of anti-counterfeiting paper and printing technology. First, the stamps are printed on a special anti-counterfeiting intaglio offset paper infused with "bidirectional color-changing fluorescent fibers" and "multi-color composite fluorescent fibers". This greatly enhances the anti-counterfeiting performance of the zodiac stamps and improves their visibility to the naked eye. Second, the text on the stamp sheetlets is produced using the inkless engraving technology. The printed text is clear, elegant and highly three-dimensional, which also serves an anti-counterfeiting purpose.

The Year of the Rooster (Ding You Year) zodiac stamp set specially invites Han Meilin, an extremely influential contemporary Chinese artist, to serve as the chief designer. Mr. Han Meilin has made remarkable achievements in various artistic fields including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, design and even literature, enjoying a high reputation in the art circle.