Culture
20:10, 07-Jan-2019
Year of the Pig stamp: 2019 zodiac animal stamp makes debut at Palace Museum
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19:17, 10-Jan-2019
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In the capital of China, the Palace Museum held a big ceremony to embrace 2019, the Year of the Pig, according to the Chinese zodiac tradition. For stamp lovers, their collection is about to expand as the latest annual stamps are available at local post offices across the country.
It was a proud moment for artist Han Meilin, to present his cute, chubby pigs to the public.
The set contains two special zodiac stamps. One is "Plump Pig Brings Good Fortune," featuring a hog striding towards what is presumably seen as a better life. The other one depicts a family of five pigs. It's a nod to Wu Fu, the Gathering of the Five Fortunes in traditional Chinese culture: longevity, affluence, health, benevolence and peace.
Han Meilin is famous for designing the 2008 Beijing Olympics mascots. He shared a bit of his creative experience with the audience.
"You know you can 't get any inspiration from a pig's appearance. White pig, black pig, or even spotted pig - makes no difference," said Han.
A Chinese zodiac art exhibition opens in the Palace Museum in Beijing, featuring the works by traditional art master Han Meilin on the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar, January 5, 2019. /VCG Photo
A Chinese zodiac art exhibition opens in the Palace Museum in Beijing, featuring the works by traditional art master Han Meilin on the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar, January 5, 2019. /VCG Photo
"So it was a bit difficult, to begin with. For the first three months, I got nowhere," he said, "But once I decided to use the pattern scheme, I drew 1600 designs in a very short time."
And these 1,600 drafts are on display together with the finals.
"Mr. Han Meilin's artwork is a perfect combination of both traditional culture and modern art. He's created a lot of zodiac artworks during his professional life," said Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum.
This year, Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, falls on February 5. As part of the exhibitions to celebrate the occasion, the Palace Museum has prepared a feast of artworks, including ink paintings, sculptures and pottery art, to feed visitors from all over the world during the festive season.
(Top image: A set of zodiac animal stamps for the Year of the Pig debuts at the Palace Museum in Beijing, January 5, 2019. /VCG Photo)