Chinese Classic Novel “Journey to the West” FDC & Stamps from TAIWAN

FDC Name:Chinese Classic Novel “Journey to the West”

Issue Date:21st JUL'2011

Details:

To promote understanding about Chinese classical literature, Chunghwa Post released three sets of stamps on “Chinese Classic Novel: Journey to the West” stamp sets on September 24, 1997, September 15, 2005, and July 7, 2010 respectively. This new set in the series consists of four stamps: “Swindling Treasures,” “Red Boy,” “Crossing the River on Turtle’s Back,” and “Achieving Nirvana” and will be released on July 21, 2011. The designs follow:

1. “Swindling Treasures” (NT$5): Golden Horn and Silver Horn of the Lotus Cave dispatched two little demons with the Golden Purple Gourd and the White Jade Vase in their hands to capture Sun Wukong. Sun devised a plan to con them out of their treasures. He first transformed himself into an old Daoist priest and conjured up a large purple-gold gourd. After asking Prince Nazha to block the sun, moon, and stars with the Black Vulture Banner, he convinced the little demons that the gourd could hold the sky and tricked them into swapping it for their treasures.

2. “Red Boy” (NT$5): Craving the Tang monk’s meat, Red Boy disguised himself as a seven-year-old boy that was hung in a tree and snatched the monk, taking him off to the Fire Cloud Cave. Sun went to the Goddess of Mercy of the South Sea for help. She tamed Red Boy with five gold rings that bound his head, hands and legs and made him serve as her page Shancai Boy.

3. “Crossing the River on Turtle’s Back” (NT$12): Encountering a gold fish monster at the Tongtian River, Sun went to the Goddess of Mercy in the South Sea for help. After the monster was captured, a big white turtle surfaced to greet the monk and his disciples when they wanted to cross the river. It turned out that the Residence of the River Turtle, where the gold fish monster lived, originally belonged to the turtle. To show gratitude, the turtle carried them across the river.

4. “Achieving Nirvana” (NT$25): After their return, the monk and his disciples presented Emperor Taizong with scriptures and then went before rulai, Tathagata, at Vulture Peak. Tathagata conferred the title of Meritorious and Virtuous Buddha of Zhantan upon the Tang monk, Victorious Fighting Buddha upon the monkey Sun Wukong, Cleanser of the Altars upon the Pigsy, Golden Bodied Arhat upon Sha Wujing, and Naga of the Eight Sections of Heaven upon the horse. All five achieved nirvana.

The stamps, planned by Professor Yun-mei Kang, Department of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University, are painted by Mr. Rolland Chang and printed by Central Engraving and Printing Plant in color offset.

Remark:Thanks Chen for this FDC send by registered post.