Season’s Greetings

By Shen Jian

The Chinese New Year is invariably a period of recalling fond memories and longing for friends and family. More than nine hundred years ago， Su Shi （1037-1101）， the one-time “mayor” of Hangzhou in the Song dynasty （960-1279）， voiced his emotions during the Spring Festival when he wrote， “Friends of old will miss me， even though we are kept afar.”

We miss our friends， and our friends also miss us. Best wishes and greetings formerly hidden in the hearts have been conveyed and communicated at this time through letters and via instant messages.

As each year passes by， one Chinese zodiac animal is replaced by another， until the cycle repeats itself after a run of a dozen. Since 1980， China Post has been issuing specially designed Chinese zodiac year stamps featuring each of the 12 zodiac animals， to welcome the Chinese New Year. For 2022， the Year of the Tiger， an animal known as the “King of Animals” and a symbol of justice， bravery and stateliness， a set of two special stamps has been issued， designed by famed artist Feng Dazhong.

One， named “Guoyun Changlong” （A Prosperous China）， shows a majestic tiger looking into the distance， artistically expressing China’s determination and aspiration to further develop itself in the new year. The other， named “Huyun Jixiang” （An Auspicious Year of the Tiger）， shows a heartwarming picture wherein a gentle mother tiger tends to her two cubs， affectionately wishing for abundant offspring and a blissful family life.

A gift box for the special stamps， entitled “Lucky Tigers Arriving Home” and designed by the Xiling Seal Art Society， has also been released. Inside the gift box is contained a seal carved by Yu Zheng， an artist from the society. Two Chinese characters “Fu” （meaning happiness or luck） An （meaning softy）” are carved on the seal. On top of the seal， the seal knob or the seal sculpture is a tiger standing on auspicious clouds， ready to roar. It signifies the country will be in peace and security under the protection of the tiger. On the side of the seal is printed the four Chinese characters “Xiling Yinshe” or the Xiling Seal Art Society.

The surface of the gift box is decorated with two papercut tigers： the left one， on auspicious clouds， holds copper coins and a gourd， symbolizing good fortune and prospects; and the right one holds a cub and a Chinese ruyi （a traditional ceremonial scepter which literally means “as you wish”）， symbolizing a life of happiness and comfort.