Sp.497 New Year’s Greeting Postage Stamps (Issue of 2006) (D497)

Stamp SN : D497
Stamp Name : Sp.497 New Year’s Greeting Postage Stamps (Issue of 2006)
Stamp Cat Standard : Special Stamps
Stamp Cat : Lunar New Year,Zodiac
Issue date : 2006-12-01
Dimension of stamps(mm.) : 26 × 34 (mm)
Printer : Cardon Enterprise Co., Ltd.
Sheet composition : 20 (4 x 5)
Print color : Colorful
Process : Deep etch offset
Paper : Phosphorescent stamp paper
Perforation : 12 1/2 × 12
Designer : Wu Jen-feng, Chen Yu-wen

This year the Chinese lunar New Year falls on February 18, 2007 . It is the ding-hai year ( ding is the fourth of the Ten Celestial Stems and hai is the last of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches) and signifies the year of the pig. To welcome the year of the pig, Chunghwa Post has chosen the work of Miss Wu Jen-feng (who won a competition of drawing the Chinese zodiac animals) for a set of two New Year's Greeting Postage Stamps (Issue of 2006.) In addition, a miniature sheet designed by Miss Chen Yu-wen will be released along with the two stamps. The designs of the stamps and the miniature sheet follow:
1. NT$3.50 Stamp: This stamp features a pig with a traditional Chinese pattern in the background to convey the festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year. A cute plump pig is running toward Chinese characters that mean " ding-hai year," symbolizing the joy of welcoming the New Year.
2. NT$13.00 Stamp: “Gongs and drums sounding to Heaven,” the theme of the stamp, captures the happy and festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year. The bluish-purple silhouette of a piglet and the Chinese characters that mean“ ding-hai year” are set against a background of a group of festive looking bright red drums. Together they convey a lively and cheerful New Year's atmosphere.
3. NT$12.00 Miniature sheet: Two roly-poly red and gold piglets, standing on the right and left sides of the sheet, smile at each other. Apart from representing nobility and joy, the plump bodies of the piglets and their smiles convey the abundance and festivity of the year of the pig. The overall design of the miniature sheet uses bright gold and celebratory red to convey the joyous and festive feeling of the New Year. On the left side a little boy holds a paper cut of fish (a homonym for surplus) and lotuses (a homonym for one after another), symbolizing the idea of a surplus, year after year. Under a policy of striving for innovation, this miniature sheet, unlike those of past years, is printed with a partially glossy effect, so as to provide greater interest for stamp collectors.
To purchase relative stamps, the public can go directly to the post offices, or order on line at https://stamp.post.gov.tw