Special 385 Ancient Chinese Painting (D385)

Stamp SN : D385
Stamp Name : Special 385 Ancient Chinese Painting
Stamp Cat Standard : Special Stamps
Stamp Cat : Calligraphy & Paintings
Issue date : 1998-05-15
Dimension of stamps(mm.) : 30.8 x 41.1 ( mm )
Printer : Helio Courvoisier S.A., Switzerland
Sheet composition : 20 (4 X 5)
Print color : Colorful
Process : Photogravure
Paper : (1) 5.00-Phosphorescent stamp paper
Perforation : 11 3/4

The character Chung K'uei has his roots in talismans used by the Chou-dynasty court to ward off evil spirits that were called chung-kuei. During the South and North Dynasties, the court promoted the use of chung-kuei among the people. The folk belief in a man named Chung K'uei who became a deity after he died began in the Tang-dynasty. In the more than one thousand years since, Chung K'uei has become very popular. With the widely held view of him as the greatest ghost buster of all--capable of vanquishing demons and monsters and eating qhosts--painters, novelists and dramatists have all made him the focus of their works. As the end of the year approached and during the dragon boat festival, each and every household used to put up his portraits to ward off evil and bring good fortune.