Scott No: -
Serial number: 2018-4
Values in set: 3
Date of issue: March 2, 2018
Denomination: 390 fen
Designer: Li Han
Size of stamps: 30 * 40 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition:
20 for Sheet I;
9 for Sheet II (3 Sets)
Sheet Size:
150 * 240 mm for sheet I;
124 * 180 mm for Sheet II
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Stamp Printing Works

The special stamp "Lantern Festival" (catalog number 2018-4) was issued by China Post on March 2, 2018, to commemorate the traditional Chinese festival of Lantern Festival and create a joyful, lively and peaceful festive atmosphere. Along with this stamp set, China Post also released a Format Ⅱ sheet containing 9 stamps (3 complete sets).

Lantern Festival, falling on the 15th day of the first lunar month, is also known as Shangyuan Festival and is one of China's traditional festivals. The first lunar month is called "Yuan Yue" in Chinese, and in ancient times, "night" was referred to as "Xiao", hence the name "Lantern Festival" (Yuan Xiao Jie). The origin and development of Lantern Festival are related to the concept of celestial timing in ancient times as well as the promotion of Buddhism and Taoism, and also reflect the ancient people's worship of the moon. The night of Lantern Festival is the first full-moon night of the lunar New Year. On that night, as the bright full moon hangs high in the sky and spring returns to the earth, people decorate their houses with lanterns and streamers, go out for sightseeing, celebrate the wonderful night, and the celebrations for the Spring Festival reach their climax.

The stamps of "Lantern Festival" feature rich compositions and vibrant colors, aiming to highlight the joyful, lively and peaceful festive atmosphere of the Lantern Festival. The character designs are slightly exaggerated, exuding an archaic simplicity and charm.

First Stamp: "Eating Glutinous Rice Balls"

It depicts a warm traditional folk scene where three generations of a family—grandparents, parents and children—enjoy glutinous rice balls (yuanxiao) together during the festival.

Second Stamp: "Appreciating Lanterns"

This stamp portrays people of all ages admiring lanterns. In the picture, some are appreciating the lanterns, some are guessing lantern riddles, and others are constantly taking photos with their cameras. The lanterns include those shaped like pavilions and terraces, carp, lotus flowers, revolving lanterns, and "blessing-seeking lanterns". A bright full moon looms in the background, further enhancing the joyful and warm atmosphere of the festive night.

Third Stamp: "Dragon and Lion Dances"

It captures the lively scene of dragon and lion dances during the Lantern Festival. In the foreground, two lively, auspicious and charming lions are depicted—one leaping and the other standing upright. Together with the dancing dragon in the background, they form a vibrant and high-spirited festive scene of "dragons soaring and lions leaping".

This stamp set adopts high-screen intaglio photogravure printing. Intaglio printing produces rich and vivid colors that are brilliant yet dignified. The 600-line black intaglio technology ensures smooth and clear lines for the details of characters, scenes, costumes and facial features. Particularly, the small characters of the lantern riddles on the second stamp are clearly distinguishable to the naked eye. In addition, to enhance the festive theme of the stamps, representative objects are selected on each stamp and printed using special technology, making them emit a bright red glow under ultraviolet light.

On the first stamp: Four "Fu" (blessing) characters, a little rabbit lantern and hanging lanterns glow warmly and brightly under ultraviolet light, echoing the scene of the family eating glutinous rice balls together—prosperous and reunited.

On the second stamp: Four lanterns of different styles display a realistic lighting effect under ultraviolet light, with the glow fading from the center to the periphery. Especially the colored lantern with the lantern riddle in the upper right corner—the answer "dog" (the Chinese character "Gou") leaps off the paper under ultraviolet light, which is vivid and interesting.

On the third stamp: The dancing lions and the silk balls they step on echo each other, shining brightly and creating a lively atmosphere under ultraviolet light.

When the three stamps are viewed together, they immerse people as if they are in the splendid lanterns of the Lantern Festival.