The "Year of the Dragon" stamp set has been launched.

The "Year of the Dragon" stamp features images of a dragon soaring (Thang Long) and a dragon descending (Ha Long), symbolizing the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Ha Long Bay.

As is customary every Tet holiday, the Ministry of Information and Communications issues a set of postage stamps titled "Tet Giap Thin" (Year of the Dragon), as a wish for a new year filled with happiness, peace, good fortune, and prosperity for everyone.

This year's Lunar New Year stamp features the year's mascot (the Dragon) at its center – the only animal in the 12 zodiac signs that originated from human imagination. Despite this, the image of the Dragon is very common in people's lives, closely intertwined and harmoniously connected, representing a rich and diverse symbol in the material and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people from ancient times to the present. Mentioning the Dragon cannot be without mentioning the legend of "the Dragon and the Immortal," in which the ancestors of the Vietnamese people originated from Lac Long Quan (originally a dragon) and Au Co (originally an immortal).

In folklore, the dragon symbolizes goodness, luck, and prosperity, representing the power of life. The image of the dragon is that of a deity who sprays water to bring rain for farmers to cultivate their fields, providing rice to sustain humanity. The dragon is also a symbol of nobility and power, and is one of the four mythical creatures: "Dragon,麒麟 (Kirin), Turtle, and Phoenix"...

Ra mắt bộ tem “Tết Giáp Thìn” - Ảnh 1.

Ra mắt bộ tem “Tết Giáp Thìn” - Ảnh 2.

The "Year of the Dragon" stamp set.

The stamp design features images of a dragon soaring (Thang Long) and a dragon descending (Ha Long), symbolizing two World Heritage sites of Vietnam that need to be preserved: Thang Long Imperial Citadel – where the dragon ascends, and Ha Long Bay – where the dragon descends peacefully. The image of a carp transforming into a dragon is subtly incorporated into the stamp's background, symbolizing effort, luck, and success. The carp transforming into a dragon also represents talent, unique qualities, perseverance, sacrifice, and a willingness to face all difficulties and challenges to achieve the dream of becoming a dragon. This reflects the country's powerful transformation in the new era, aligning with global development to realize its dream of becoming a developed nation – an Asian dragon.

Since 2019, the design of the 12 zodiac animal Tet stamp series has been standardized in style and format. Besides the image of the year's zodiac animal, the stamp series also introduces traditional Tet customs, showcasing unique aspects of Vietnamese Tet culture and creating a distinctive feature of Tet stamps issued by Vietnam.

Looking at the Tet stamp sets issued in recent years, we can see: The "Tet Canh Ty" stamp set, issued in 2019, marked the beginning of a new zodiac cycle, introducing Tet customs with banh chung, banh tet, peach blossoms, and apricot blossoms; the "Tet Tan Suu" stamp set featured the five-fruit tray for Tet; the "Tet Nham Dan" stamp set showcased games played by ethnic minorities in mountainous regions during Tet; and the "Tet Quy Mao" stamp set introduced the custom of giving lucky money at the beginning of the year. This year, the "Tet Giap Thin" stamp set depicts carp, symbolizing the custom of sending the Kitchen God and the Stove God to heaven – one of the beautiful cultural traditions passed down through generations, a distinctive feature of the traditional Tet customs of the Vietnamese people.

Ra mắt bộ tem “Tết Giáp Thìn” - Ảnh 3.

The block design depicts a large family of dragons soaring amidst auspicious cloud formations, symbolizing peace and good fortune. The image of nine dragons gathered together on the block represents the meandering Mekong River flowing into nine seas, bringing prosperity to the agricultural economy of the Southwestern region of Vietnam.

The stamp set was issued on December 24, 2023, and designed by artist Nguyen Quang Vinh.

Through this Lunar New Year stamp set, we wish for a new year filled with peace, prosperity, success, and good fortune for every household.

According to vtv.vn

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