Scott No: -
Serial number: 2018-8
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: April 22, 2018
Denomination: 510 fen
Designer: Xiao Yutian
Size of stamps: 40 * 54 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
8 (2 Sets) for Sheet II
Size of sheet:
190 * 246 mm for Sheet I;
216 * 144 mm for Sheet II
Size of S/S: 138 * 93 mm
Size of S/S Stamp: 70 * 61 mm
S/S Perforation: 13
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Henan Provincal Postage Stamp Printing Works

Originally titled The Story of the Stone, Dream of the Red Chamber is a chaptered novel. Set against the backdrop of the four noble families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue, the work centers on the tragic love story of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, depicting the decline of the Rong and Ning Mansions of the Jia family from prosperity to ruin. Covering a vast range of subjects across disciplines—including poetry, ci poetry, songs, fu prose, qin (zither), qi (go), calligraphy, painting, pavilions and terraces, boats and carriages, costumes and makeup, weddings and funerals, sacrifices, diet and medicinal cuisine, tea and wine culture, as well as traditional beliefs such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism—the novel is almost all-inclusive. With its exquisite and vivid language, masterful characterization, and numerous archetypal artistic images, it achieves extraordinary artistic accomplishments.

On April 22, 2018, China Post issued a special stamp set "Famous Classical Chinese Literary Works – Dream of the Red Chamber (III)", consisting of 4 stamps and 1 souvenir sheet. The stamps depict scenes respectively as "Miaoyu Serving Tea", "Xichun Painting a Scroll", "Ping'er Fixing Her Makeup", and "Night Visit to Xiao Xiang Pavilion", while the souvenir sheet features "Founding the Crabapple Poetry Club". The four stamps are based on scenes from Chapters 41, 42, 44, and 45 of the novel, and the souvenir sheet on Chapter 37.

Miaoyu Serving Tea

Derived from the episode "Tasting Plum-Blossom Snow Tea at Green Lute Nunnery", the stamp portrays Miaoyu offering tea to Baoyu. Miaoyu is the only figure in the "Main Register" of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling—ranking 6th, ahead of Wang Xifeng (the de facto manager of the Jia Mansion) and the young mistresses Yingchun and Xichun—who has no Jia family blood, nor is she a mistress or relative of the mansion. Born into an aristocratic family, she studied extensively from childhood, excelling in poetry, go, and qin. Even the arrogant and uncomplimentary Lin Daiyu sincerely admired her, hailing her as a "Poetry Immortal". Her life was fraught with hardships: plagued by illness in her early years, she was sent to Panxiang Temple at Xuanmu Mountain to practice Buddhism as a lay nun to ward off misfortune. Tragically, she lost both parents and had no one to rely on, so she formally became a Buddhist nun. Later, invited by the pious Lady Wang, she entered Green Lute Nunnery in the Jia Mansion, living in seclusion with Buddhist scriptures and oil lamps. Though outside the mortal world, she remained entangled in earthly emotions, harboring secret affection for Baoyu that she could not openly express due to her status—her subtle feelings were silently conveyed through the act of serving tea.

Xichun Painting a Scroll

Following Grandmother Jia’s wish, Li Wan asked Xichun to paint a detailed architectural scroll of the Grand View Garden (built for Yuanchun’s homecoming visit), adding human figures to create an "amusement" scene. As painting such an intricate garden required immense time and effort, Xichun planned to take a one-year leave from the poetry club. Daiyu commented, "Logically, a year is not too long... Now, painting this will naturally take two years," highlighting the scale of Xichun’s task.

Ping'er Fixing Her Makeup

Ping'er was Lady Wang Xifeng’s maid-in-waiting and Jia Lian’s concubine. Kind-hearted and tolerant with exceptional looks and temperament, she endured a difficult situation. When Jia Lian had an affair and Wang Xifeng flew into a jealous rage, the couple took their anger out on Ping'er, who was wrongfully beaten and burst into tears. Li Wan and Jia Baoyu comforted her, and Baoyu invited her to Happy Red Court, where he gently consoled her, helping her wash away her tears, apply powder, and fix her makeup with meticulous care.

Night Visit to Xiao Xiang Pavilion

"Night Visit to Xiao Xiang Pavilion" is a pivotal episode in the love line of Baoyu and Daiyu. On a rainy autumn night, with sparse bamboo dripping, the watchman’s drum beating, and withered flowers and cold rain enhancing the loneliness, Daiyu was moved by the scene to compose "A Poem of Wind and Rain in Autumn" (Men Zhi Feng Yu Ci), expressing her sorrow of "lingering worries and resentments stirring separation feelings". As she wept into the window screen, Baoyu braved the autumn downpour to visit her at Xiao Xiang Pavilion. Seeing Baoyu’s bizarre attire—wearing a large bamboo hat, a straw raincoat, and wooden clogs—Daiyu couldn’t help but laugh, dispelling her autumnal melancholy. Her playful remarks calling him a "fisherman" and herself a "fisherman’s wife", though casual, revealed her innermost feelings. Their silent understanding warmed the bleak wind and rain outside the window.

Founding the Crabapple Poetry Club

In the autumn of the second year after Yuanchun’s homecoming, Jia Baoyu felt bored with nothing to do in the garden when he received a letter from Tanchun. Tanchun proposed establishing a poetry club in the Grand View Garden, which Baoyu enthusiastically applauded, immediately heading to Qiushuang Studio to meet with Baochai, Daiyu, Yingchun, and Xichun. Li Wan soon joined them amid laughter. Daiyu suggested that since they were forming a poetry club, each should adopt an elegant alias. After some thought, everyone had their new names: Daiyu became "Xiao Xiang Fei Zi" (Consort of Xiao Xiang), Baoyu "Yi Hong Gong Zi" (Master of Happy Red Court), Li Wan "Dao Xiang Lao Nong" (Old Farmer of Rice Fragrance), Tanchun "Jiao Xia Ke" (Guest Under the Banana Tree), Baochai "Heng Wu Jun" (Lord of Hengwu Garden), and Yingchun and Xichun—who preferred not to write poetry—adopted "Ling Zhou" (Water Chestnut Islet) and "Ou Xie" (Lotus Pavilion) respectively.

The stamps are designed using the meticulous gongbi painting technique with heavy colors. Featuring rich compositions, ancient and delicate hues, and accurate, vivid, and lifelike character portrayals, they vividly depict the subtle changes in characters’ psychology and the magnificent, luxurious scenes of the story.