'Year of the Pig' zodiac stamps issued to welcome 2019

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With the Chinese New Year a month away, China Post issued a set of two special zodiac stamps on Saturday. Featuring the pig for the incoming zodiac sign, each stamp is 2.4 yuan.

Famous Chinese artist Han Meilin designed the set of stamps. Han was born in Jinan, Shandong Province in 1936 and is most known for his "Fuwa" dolls made for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

The set comes with two different designs, one shows the zodiac animal's vitality by running, symbolizing the beautiful and good life. /VCG Photo

The set comes with two different designs – the pig on the first stamp is simple and charming. It shows its vitality by running, symbolizing the beautiful and good life; the other stamp perfectly embodies the concept of "family," with two big pigs and three little ones appearing at the same time, expressing the best wishes for the family reunion in the New Year.

According to the official website of China Post, the Beijing Stamp Factory printed the stamps, which depict the spirit of the original zodiac image, using the previous Chinese zodiac stamps technique.

The other stamp perfectly embodies the concept of "family," with two big pigs and three little ones appearing at the same time, expressing the best wishes for the family reunion in the New Year. /VCG Photo

On the edge of the stamp, the designer added some Chinese zodiac inscriptions in oracle bones to symbolize the long history of Chinese zodiac culture.

Since 1980, China has issued zodiac stamps for 40 consecutive years. After 40 years of reform and opening-up, the collection of zodiac stamps has a special significance in recording the country's changes.