Scott No: 3021-24
Serial number:2000-6
Values in set: 4
Denomination: 3.20 yuan
Date of issue: April 30, 2000
Designer: Guo Chenghui, Huang Li
Size of stamps: 50*38mm
Perforation:12.5
Sheet composition: 16
Printing process: offset
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The special stamp set Mulan Joins the Army was issued on April 30, 2000. It consists of four stamps with a total face value of 3.20 yuan. It was designed by Guo Chenghui and Huang Li and printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory using offset printing. The stamps use a horizontal four-stamp continuous format, with the four images narrating a connected story. The set is based on the famous Yuefu poem Ballad of Mulan and belongs to the folk legend stamp series. It brings the well-known story of this female hero to stamps, preserving the traditional virtues of loyalty, filial piety, and patriotism.

Ballad of Mulan is a classic Yuefu narrative poem from the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It tells the legendary story of Hua Mulan, who disguises herself as a man to serve in the army in place of her father, achieves military merit on the battlefield, declines rewards, and returns to her hometown. The stamp set follows the chronological development of the story, selecting four key episodes. It uses the traditional folk art forms of shadow puppetry and paper-cutting to shape the characters, with the full text of Ballad of Mulan printed on the stamp borders. It praises Mulan's qualities of diligence, simplicity, filial devotion, patriotism, and indifference to fame, showcasing the charm of traditional Chinese folk literature.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Mulan Weaving

The stamp depicts Mulan sitting before a loom. The shuttle has stopped, and Mulan is deep in thought. This corresponds to the opening of Ballad of Mulan: the court is conscripting soldiers, and her elderly father is on the roster. Mulan is worried. The simple image establishes Mulan as an ordinary farm girl, setting the stage for the subsequent plot of joining the army in place of her father.

Mulan Joins the Army

The stamp shows Mulan changing into military attire, preparing her horse, and bidding farewell to her family as she sets off for the barracks. Disguised as a man, she wears armor and stands tall, reflecting her determination to go to war in her father's place. This is the turning point of the entire story.

Mulan at War

The stamp depicts Mulan riding a horse and holding a weapon on the battlefield. The warhorse gallops, and her battle robe flies. It shows the hardships of years of frontier service and highlights Mulan's fearless heroic spirit, corresponding to the poem's grand description of traveling thousands of miles to war and crossing mountains and passes swiftly.

Mulan Returns Home

The stamp depicts the scene after the war is over, when Mulan returns home in glory, looks in the mirror, and restores her appearance as a woman. Mulan declines the court's rewards and asks only to return home, fully displaying the admirable quality of not seeking glory and returning to her true self, bringing the story to a complete conclusion.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set draws on the stylistic art of Chinese folk paper-cutting and shadow puppetry. The character outlines are concise and generalized. The main colors are black, white, and red, with a simple and intense style, full of rustic folk art charm. The offset printing provides steady colors. The four horizontal continuous stamps allow the story images to flow seamlessly. The full text of Ballad of Mulan is arranged along the sides of the stamps, mutually confirming the image and text. It integrates classical poetry, folk stylistic art, and legendary storytelling, with a strong narrative quality, making it a representative work in the folk legend stamp series.