Scott Number: -
Serial number: 2011-18
Values in set: 4
Denomination: 480 fen
Date of issue: July 8, 2011
Size of stamp: 30 * 50 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition: 16 for Value I; 8 for Value II (2 sets)
Size of Sheet:
150 * 240 mm for Value I;
175 * 130 mm for Value II
Designer: Feng Yuan
Printing process: Offset
Printer: Liaoning Provincal Shenyang Stamp Printing House

On July 8, 2011, the special stamp "Chinese Quyi" (catalog number 2011-18) was officially issued, coinciding with the 7th China Quyi Festival, showcasing the intangible cultural heritage of Chinese narrative and singing arts. The set consists of four stamps, each with a face value of 1.20 yuan, for a total face value of 4.80 yuan. The stamps were designed by Feng Yuan and printed by Shenyang Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory in Liaoning Province using offset printing.

The stamps feature four representative Quyi genres from both the north and south of China, covering northern Chinese language-based performing arts, northern drum singing, southern Suzhou pingtan, and Shandong clapper ballad. They present the unique charm of "narrative and singing arts" through traditional stage performance imagery, highlighting the cultural characteristics of Quyi as a folk art rooted in oral storytelling and the combination of speech and song, showcasing the rich and diverse system of Chinese folk narrative arts.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background:

Xiangsheng (Comic Dialogue)

Image: Two xiangsheng performers in long gowns, one leading and one supporting, with folding fans and a wooden block as props.
History: Xiangsheng originated in Beijing and Tianjin and is the most widely popular language-based performing art. It emphasizes speaking, imitating, teasing, and singing, using humorous narrative to comment on society and entertain the public.
Significance: A representative icon of northern Quyi.

Gugu (Drum Song)

Image: A female performer standing and singing, with a small drum and clappers set up in front of her, representing the typical performance style of Jingyun Dagu (Beijing Drum Song).
History: Drum songs flourished in North China, using drums and clappers to control rhythm, narrating historical tales and legends. They are an important category of northern narrative and singing arts.
Significance: A classic paradigm of drum-based narrative singing.

Pingtan (Suzhou Storytelling and Ballad Singing)

Image: A male-female duo performing, one playing the sanxian and the other the pipa, singing and playing.
History: Suzhou pingtan is popular in the Wu-speaking regions south of the Yangtze. It is divided into storytelling (pinghua) and ballad singing (tanci), with gentle, delicate melodies, and is skilled at performing secular stories.
Significance: The highest representative of Jiangnan Quyi.

Kuaishu (Clapper Ballad)

Image: A performer holding a pair of brass clappers, striking a dynamic pose, performing Shandong Kuaishu.
History: Shandong Kuaishu has a crisp, powerful rhythm and excels at portraying heroic tales. The classic piece "The Story of Wu Song" is well-known across the country.
Significance: A representative of northern clapper-based narrative singing.

Artistic and Design Features:

Painting Style: Traditional Chinese figure painting with light colors, with concise, expressive brushwork that captures the stage presence of traditional Quyi performers.
Format: Uniform vertical stamp format, with four independent designs and balanced figure compositions.
Regional Balance: Three northern genres paired with the southern pingtan, reflecting a balanced geographical representation.
Visual Clarity: Clean compositions with minimal background elements, focusing on the performers' gestures and core accompanying instruments.

This stamp set is one of the few special stamps dedicated to narrative and singing arts, making it a scarce thematic issue. It covers four well-known Quyi genres from both the north and south, making it suitable for thematic collections on opera, Quyi, and intangible cultural heritage. Available in both stamp set and miniature sheet formats, it is an indispensable item for folk art thematic collections.