Scott No: -
Serial number: 2019-1
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: January 5, 2019
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Han Meilin
Engraver: Dong Qi, Xu Zhe
Size of stamps: 36 * 36 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
6 for Sheet II
Size of sheet:
168 * 196 mm for Sheet I;
128 * 180 mm for Sheet II
Printing process: Offset and Engraving
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post scheduled the release of a special stamp set titled Jihai Year (the Year of the Pig in the Chinese zodiac) on January 5, 2019. The set contains 2 stamps with design themes respectively named "Fat Pig Bringing Prosperity and Blessings" and "Gathering of the Five Blessings", and the total face value of the full set is 2.40 yuan. In addition, a stamp booklet will be issued, priced at 12 yuan.

2019 is the Jihai Year in the Chinese lunar calendar, i.e., the Year of the Pig in the Chinese zodiac. The Pig ranks the 12th among the 12 Chinese zodiac animals and corresponds to "Hai" in the 12 Earthly Branches. Ancient Chinese used the character "Hai", which signifies "storing all things", to end the cycle of the 12 Earthly Branches. This implies that all things return to their roots and life lies dormant. Right after "Hai" (representing dormancy) comes "Zi", which symbolizes the birth of new life. Therefore, the Pig has become the critical point in the cycle of life and time.

The zodiac stamp set for the Jihai Year (Year of the Pig) once again invited Han Meilin, a renowned artist and the designer of the first-round Year of the Pig zodiac stamp, to take charge of its design. Han Meilin was born in Jinan, Shandong Province in 1936. He is a master of arts and crafts, a professor at Tsinghua University, and the deputy director of the university's Academic Committee. He once designed Fuwa, the mascots of the Beijing Olympic Games. His works are grand in momentum yet meticulous in detail, featuring a unique artistic style and distinct personal characteristics.

The fourth-round zodiac stamps delve deeply into cultural concepts, with the core idea of "family". They skillfully integrate the image characteristics of zodiac animals with the Chinese people's feelings for family and country, endowing the zodiac images with the vivid setting of "family joy".

The first stamp in the set, "Fat Pig Bringing Prosperity and Blessings", depicts a fat pig with a "cosmos within its belly" and a naive, lovely appearance. Its running posture conveys a lively and joyful vibe, symbolizing the pursuit of a better life. The second stamp, "Gathering of the Five Blessings", is the first zodiac stamp to fully embody the concept of "family reunion". It shows two adult pigs and three piglets appearing together in a harmonious scene, entrusting the beautiful wishes of family reunion and the arrival of the Five Blessings during the Spring Festival.

This stamp set was printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House. It continues the offset and engraving combination printing technique used in the fourth-round zodiac stamps. The fine engraving lines outline the three-dimensional texture of the zodiac animal and capture the charm of the original design. The engravers are Dong Qi and Xu Zhe from the Stamp Printing Bureau.

On the border of the first stamp format, the oracle bone inscriptions of the 12 zodiac animals are designed, implying the long history of zodiac culture. The border also uses inkless engraving technology to print a cultural poem about the Year of the Pig. The handwriting is clear and elegant, with a prominent three-dimensional effect, and it also has a certain anti-counterfeiting function, skillfully combining cultural content with anti-counterfeiting technology. The stamp paper for the zodiac stamps specially adopts a dedicated anti-counterfeiting stamp paper that has won the highest award in China's security anti-counterfeiting industry. It protects the rights and interests of philatelists through printing technology, truly achieving "easy to identify and difficult to counterfeit". On the second format, the introduction text of this set of zodiac stamps is printed, interpreting the culture of the Year of the Pig from various aspects.

Since the release of zodiac stamps began in 1980, China has issued zodiac stamps consecutively for 40 years. After 40 years of reform and opening up, collecting zodiac stamps has gained special significance in recording personal growth and the changes of the times.