Scott No: -
Serial number: 2010-2
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: January 10, 2011
Denomination: 480 fen
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of stamps: 30 * 40 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition:
12 for sheet I (Value 1, 2 in Sheet 1 and Value 3, 4 in Sheet 2);
8 for sheet II
Size of stamp sheet:
200 * 150 for sheet I;
120 * 210 for sheet II
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Shengyang Postage Stamp Printing Works

On January 10, 2011, the special stamp "Fengxiang Woodblock New Year Prints" (catalog number 2011-2) was officially issued. This is the ninth and final set in China Post's "Chinese Woodblock New Year Prints" series, presenting a representative folk art of Northwest China and carrying forward the thousand-year-old printmaking tradition of Fengxiang, Shaanxi. 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 Wang Huming and printed by Shenyang Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory in Liaoning Province using offset printing.

The four stamps feature four classic themes of Fengxiang woodblock New Year prints: door gods, auspicious children's images, scholarly ladies, and antique display pieces. These themes respectively represent warding off evil and protecting the home, welcoming blessings and good fortune, refined elegance and cultural grace, and prosperity and peace. Together, they present the bold, rustic, and vividly colored artistic style of Northwest Chinese folk art, demonstrating Fengxiang woodblock New Year prints' status as a national intangible cultural heritage, popular in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Qinghai region, and embodying the folk beliefs of northern farming communities in seeking blessings and good fortune.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background:

Wei Chi Jingde with Whip

Image: The door god Wei Chi Jingde in full armor, holding a steel whip, with a majestic and exaggerated appearance and intricate decorative patterns on his attire.
History: Wei Chi Jingde is a well-known door god figure in Chinese folk tradition. Fengxiang door god prints were produced in large quantities and pasted on doors during the Spring Festival to ward off evil and protect the home.
Significance: A representative of Fengxiang door god prints and the most widely circulated door god template in Northwest China.

Auspicious Boy Riding a Tiger

Image: A plump and lively boy riding a fierce tiger, with bright, festive colors on his attire.
History: The motif of a boy riding a tiger is a traditional auspicious symbol: the tiger represents warding off evil, while the boy signifies flourishing descendants. Together, they convey blessings, protection from evil, and annual peace.
Significance: A classic example of Fengxiang "child prints," full of the rustic charm of Guanzhong folk culture.

Lady Admiring Chrysanthemums

Image: Two ladies in ancient costume carrying baskets of chrysanthemums, with elegant clothing and flowing, graceful lines.
History: Chrysanthemums symbolize purity and refinement. This theme reflects people's aspirations for virtuous character and a peaceful life, representing the refined lady series of Fengxiang prints.
Significance: One of the few elegant lady-themed prints in Fengxiang woodblock New Year prints, offering a contrast to the bold door god style.

Vase of Fortune and Prosperity

Image: A central antique vase accompanied by auspicious motifs such as lotus flowers, pomegranates, scrolls, teapots, and bats.
History: "Vase" (ping) is a homophone for "peace" (ping), pomegranates symbolize many descendants, bats represent good fortune, and lotus flowers signify harmony and beauty, combining multiple auspicious meanings.
Significance: A typical hall display print, symbolizing prosperity, health, and peace throughout the seasons.

Artistic and Design Features:

Faithful Reproduction: The stamps preserve the original style of Fengxiang woodblock prints without excessive modification, faithfully reproducing the characteristics of manual color separation, bold lines, and strong color contrasts of red and green.
Series Consistency: The stamps continue the unified format specifications of the New Year print series designed by Wang Huming, with vertical stamp shapes and side inscriptions, maintaining stylistic consistency with previous issues such as Yangliuqing, Taohuawu, Mianzhu, and Zhuxianzhen.
Background Treatment: The stamps use an antique beige background to simulate the texture of aged paper, evoking the antique charm of traditional prints.
Thematic Layout: The four themes—door gods, children, ladies, and antiques—are well-balanced, comprehensively presenting the thematic system of Fengxiang woodblock New Year prints.

This stamp set is the concluding issue of the woodblock New Year print series, and is essential for completing the nine-set collection. The subject matter is a Shaanxi local intangible cultural heritage, making it a core resource for Northwest Chinese folk art thematic collections. A scarce silk redemption miniature sheet was also issued concurrently, offering a variety of collectible formats. It is suitable for thematic collections on folk New Year prints, intangible cultural heritage, and Shaanxi local culture, holding an important place in the folk art-themed stamp series.