Scott No: -
Serial number: 2021-7
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: April 23rd, 2021
Denomination: 480 fen
Designer: Li Yunzhong
Size of stamps: 38 * 50 mm
Perforation: 13 * 13.5
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
8 for Sheet II
Size of sheet:
180 * 240 mm for Sheet I;
200 * 156 mm for Sheet II
Printing process:
Photogravure for Value 1,2,3;
Photogravure + Offset for Value 4
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 4 special stamps titled Journey to the West – A Classic of Chinese Classical Literature (IV) on April 23, 2021. The titles of the stamp designs are respectively: The True and False Monkey Kings, Three Attempts to Borrow the Plantain Fan, Tribulation at Little Thunder Monastery, and Calamity at the Spider Cave. The total face value of the full set of stamps is 4.80 yuan. The planned circulation is 8.7 million sets for the stamps, 1.05 million sheets for Sheet Type 2, and an additional 130,000 copies of a stamp folder containing block-of-four stamps are planned to be issued.

Journey to the West is a chapter-length novel written by Wu Cheng'en, a novelist of the Ming Dynasty, and it stands as a classic in ancient Chinese mythological and supernatural fiction. Comprising 100 chapters in total, the novel narrates the story of Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing protecting Monk Tang (Xuanzang) on his pilgrimage to the Western Regions to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Along their journey, they subdue demons and monsters, overcome 81 hardships, and eventually attain enlightenment and achieve their spiritual goals. The novel creates a host of vivid and lifelike characters, brims with romantic fantasies, and embeds profound life philosophies within its humor and satire. It also embodies the spirit of criticizing social ills, pursuing ideals, and striving unremittingly.

This set of stamps is the fourth installment of the Journey to the West – A Classic of Chinese Classical Literature stamp series, which has been released since 2015. The images vividly depict some of the exciting plots from Chapters 57 to 72 of the novel. The artist employed the traditional Chinese painting technique of "gongbi zhongcai" (meticulous brushwork with heavy colors) to faithfully reproduce the classic scenes from the original work, namely The True and False Monkey Kings, Three Attempts to Borrow the Plantain Fan, Tribulation at Little Thunder Monastery, and Calamity at the Spider Cave. The stamp designs boast a strong narrative quality, with characters portrayed with distinct personalities, and the colors exude an antique charm while maintaining delicate details.

This set of stamps was designed by Li Yunzhong and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Co., Ltd. using the photogravure printing process.