Scott No: 702-707
Serial number: S55
Values in set: 6
Date of issue: June 30, 1963
Denomination: 122 fen
Designer: Ni Changming, Lu Tianjiao
Size of stamps: 24*33mm
Perforation: 12.5
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

S55 "Chinese Folk Dances (Series III)" special stamps were issued on June 30, 1963. The set consists of 6 stamps, printed by offset, with original paintings by Ni Changming, designed by Lu Tianjiao, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 28.5 mm × 38 mm, perforation gauge 12.5, 50 stamps per sheet (10 × 5), without gum, with a total face value of 1.22 yuan for the set; circulations: 4-fen She Wedding Dance 3 million copies, 8-fen Bai Raoshanlin 5 million copies, 10-fen Yao Long Drum Dance 2 million copies, 20-fen Li March Third 1 million copies, 30-fen Wa Sword Dance 1 million copies, and 50-fen Dai Peacock Dance 1 million copies.

Theme of the Set

This is the concluding work of the folk dance trilogy, following Special 49 (Series I) and Special 53 (Series II); the three sets share a continuous style. The set selects six representative traditional dances of ethnic minorities in the southeast and southwest, condensing the ethnic customs of wedding rites, festivals, sacrifices, and blessing prayers into the square inch of stamps. The set covers the Jiangnan mountains, the Yunnan-Guizhou frontier, Hainan Island, and the Dai region of southern Yunnan, using dance to display the unique folk traditions of each ethnic group, expressing the colorful cultural appearance of all ethnic groups, and praising ethnic unity. Ni Changming's decorative original paintings, re-created by Lu Tianjiao, have graceful, condensed forms; it is a widely praised concluding chapter among the old Ji-te ethnic-themed stamps.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

She Wedding Dance

The picture shows a newly married She man and woman in full dress dancing as a pair, with slow, dignified movements, drawn from the traditional She wedding ceremonies of the Zhejiang-Fujian mountains. The dance is performed at wedding celebrations, with gentle steps and rich auspicious, festive meaning; it is a vivid artistic reproduction of She marriage culture.

Bai Raoshanlin

Two Bai young people sing and dance as a pair, originating from the annual "Raosanling" grand gathering of the Bai people of Dali, Yunnan. Every late spring, the Bai people go on procession, sing, and dance in carnival to pray for favorable weather; the dance is light and cheerful, full of the fresh, bright atmosphere of the Erhai lakeside.

Yao Long Drum Dance

A Yao dancer carries a long drum across the body and dances while beating the drum. The long drum dance is a classic Yao dance, mostly performed at the Panwang Festival; the dancer beats the long drum while leaping and shifting, with vigorous, undulating movements, carrying the Yao people's ancient ancestor worship and festival traditions.

Li March Third

The picture shows young Li men and women of Hainan dancing hand in hand, corresponding to the grand Li festival "March Third." During the festival, Li youth gather in the mountains and forests, sing antiphonally and dance, and seek kindred spirits. It is also the first stamp in this set to depict a Hainan Li theme, with a rich tropical island flavor.

Wa Sword Dance

Two Wa men dance holding long swords, with vigorous, sharp movements. The sword dance originates from the Wa mountains of Ximeng, Yunnan, and in ancient times was related to hunting and sacrifice; the dancers swing swords and leap, displaying the brave and fierce temperament of the Wa people, full of a primitive, rough sense of power.

Dai Peacock Dance

The finale of the set and the most famous stamp of the whole set. The dancer imitates the peacock's postures of walking, spreading wings, and looking back; the peacock is a symbol of auspiciousness and holiness in Dai culture, and the dance is often performed at major celebrations such as the Water-Splashing Festival. The picture is expansive and soft, lively and elegant.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a horizontal format, with a light beige base, clean and soft, highlighting the figures. The offset flat colors are bright, the lines concise, with a rich folk decorative painting style and no strong light-and-shadow sketching; the figures' clothing patterns are generalized and expressive. The six dances have different temperaments—the wedding dance gentle, the sword dance fierce, the peacock dance lively—varied and rich.