The best thing about China’s 2022 stamp program is tigers. The best topic possible for a stamp. But I’m not biased. 🙄 For this year’s theme The Year of the Tiger, China Post hired Feng Dazhong to design the 42nd stamp in the long running Chinese New Year series. You can get a bigger eyeful of tiger designs from around the world on the Year of the Tiger page. If that isn’t enough stripped beauty for you, China Post will bring us 6 more tigers in September to celebrate the cultural importance of tigers in Chinese society.
What else does 2022 hold?
- Beijing Olympics
- another animation set
- space stations and scientists
- traditional opera
- national parks & world heritage sites
- cultural heritage – intangible and other
- classical masterpieces
How’s that for a sampling of the 2022 program?
A lot to talk about, a lot to explore. I’ve begun including more names and topics in the original Chinese because I’m never too sure they translate correctly. If you spot a wonky translation please let me know. I’m always happy to correct information. I’m the only writer & editor here at Bitter Grounds, so there are bound to be errors. I’ve been grateful when readers have taken time to offer clarification and help.
Cheers
Catpaw
January
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP)
1 stamp, sheets of 10
photogravure
Designer: Yu Qiyuan | 于秋艳
Previous designs included the 2020 Mount Everest Elevation Survey cover, 2020 Beijing 2022 winter Olympic and Paralympic Mascots covers & postcards, 2020 Philatelic Week cover, 20197th World Military Games and 2019 Magnificent 70 Years,
Release date: January 1, 2022
Year of the Tiger
Guoyun Changlong & Huyun Jixiang
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 mini sheets of 6, 2 sheets of 20
offset lithography
This is the 42nd year China has issued a Lunar New Year stamp, with the first issued 1980
… Feng has been drawing tigers since he was young. At that time, due to lack of publications, he often took bus to a zoo for observation and had narrowly escaped from tigers several times. He is a national first-class painter, an expert enjoying the special allowance of the State Council and also the president of the Artists Association in Liaoning Province.
“Animals also have happiness and sorrow, so the painting of the tiger needs to break the code, break through its animal nature to convey a spiritual emotion,” Feng said. “Paying attention to portraying the spirits of the tiger also coincides with the cultural connotation of the zodiac tiger.” Zodiac stamps for Year of Tiger spark controversy for lacking vigor, strength – Global Times
Designer: Feng Dazhong 冯大中
Feng’s art name is ‘”Fuhu Caotang Zhuren” (the owner of the crouching tiger humble cottage)’
According to Feng, if the picture you paint is not to convey the life felt by the painter then it is purely a game of ink. What he wants to convey is not the exquisite brushwork but real life and his own feelings. The relationship between man and nature is what Chinese art wants to convey, and the painter sets up the channel for dialogue between one’s mind and nature. Feng’s landscape painting does not pursue the extraordinary form but hides in the environment, and this is the so-called “unity of heaven and man,” the core of Chinese traditional culture.
Chinese artist Feng Dazhong combines elaborate and impressionistic styles, tradition and innovation in his landscape and bird-and-flower paintings – Global Times
Release date: January 5, 2022
110th Anniversary of the Founding of the Bank of China
Pre-stamped postcard
offset
Designer: Shen Jiahong | 沈嘉宏
Release date: January 28, 2022
February
Commemoration of the Opening of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics


2 stamps, souvenir sheet of 6 stamps, 2 sheets of 12
China Post will be issuing other Beijing Olympic stamps. They will be posted soon.
Theme:
- Total Future
- Light of Hope
Designer: Wang Huming | 王虎鸣
Wang Huming’s name may be familiar to Jersey Island collectors. He designed the past 2 years Lunar New Year stamps for Jersey as well as the UN’s 2021 Year of the Ox set. He also created the October 27m, 2021 Tiger stamps for China. Huming is the Art Director of the Postage Stamp Printing Bureau of China Post
Release date: February 4, 2022
80th Anniversary of the Founding of Shandong War Post
Pre-stamped postcard
offset
Designers: Yu Qiuyan, Shang Ying | 于秋艳、尚盈
Release date: February 7, 2022
50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between China and Mexico
2 stamps
Official diplomatic relations between China and Mexico was established February 14, 1972
Release date: February 14, 2022
Beijing Winter Olympic Closing
commemorative cover
Release date: February 20, 2022
April
Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Literature – Dream of the Red Chamber 红楼梦
4th in series
4 stamps, 1 mini sheet, 4 sheets of 16, 3 FDCs, cancel
This series, featuring parts of the Red Chamber, began in 2014 and runs every 2 years. This is the last in the series that spanned 5 sets.
- Daiyu Burned Manuscript 黛玉焚稿
- Gold And Jade Marriage 金玉联姻
- Tanchun Yuan Married 探春远嫁
- Baoyu Dust 宝玉却尘
- (mini sheet) Cold Pond Crane Shadow 小型张 寒塘鹤影
Release is timed to coincide with World Book Day. The story covers the lives of 5 generations of a Chinese family. You can find decent translated copies of the Red Chamber by Xueqin Cae at many local libraries. If you are in Toronto, the TPL has both print & e-book versions. You can also find copies from bookstores like Indigo Red Chamber in all shops | chapters.indigo.ca
Wikipedia has a pretty decent write up of Red Chamber and is a good starting point Dream of the Red Chamber – Wikipedia.
Designer: Xiao Yutian 萧玉田
Layout: Xiao Yutian, Xia Jingqiu 萧玉田、夏竞秋
Release date: April 23, 2022
World Natural Heritage Site – Karst in Southern China | 中国南方喀斯特
7 stamps. sheet of all 7, 7 souvenir block sheets, 5 FDCs, cancel
UNESCO Global Geopark SHILIN UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK (China) and stone forest world natural heritage (shilin.com.cn)
- Stone Forest Karst 石林喀斯特 – formed @ 270 million years ago
- Libo Karst 荔波喀斯特 -Also called Maolan Karst Forest found in Libo and is a 20,000 hectares natural reserve
- Wulong Karst 武隆喀斯特
- Guilin Karst 桂林喀斯特
- Shi Bing Karst 施秉喀斯特
- Golden Buddha Mountain Karst 金佛山喀斯特
- Huanjiang Karst 环江喀斯特
South China Karst – World Heritage Site – Pictures, Info and Travel Reports
Karst is a type of topography created by a carbonate bedrock:
“Karst is a distinctive topography in which the landscape is largely shaped by the dissolving action of water mainly on carbonate bedrock (usually limestone, dolomite, or marble). This geological process, occurring over many thousands of years, results in unusual surface and subsurface features ranging from sinkholes, vertical shafts, disappearing streams, and springs, to complex underground drainage systems and caves.”
What is karst? – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
The link above has an excellent, and easily understood explanation of how such unique landscapes are formed.
Designer: Yang Wenqing |杨文清
From China Post webpage on the style Wengqing used: “The stamps adopt the painting method of Western painting. On the basis of highlighting the characteristics of the karst landforms in southern China, appropriate artistic exaggeration and selection are carried out, so that the content of the performance conforms to scientific laws without losing artistic beauty. It is magnificent and shows the unique natural beauty of the southern karsts.”
Release date: April 28, 2022
May
100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Youth League of China
2 stamps
I’d appreciate it if someone could translate the text in the second image.
Designer: Chang Shana 常沙娜, Zhang Lei 张磊
Release date: May 5, 2022
Ancient Towns of China
4th in series
4 stamps, FDCs, album
- JIANGXI FULIANG YAOLI TOWN 江西浮梁瑶里镇
- ZHEJIANG FUYANG LONGMEN TOWN 浙江富阳龙门镇
- FUJIAN JINJIANG ANHAI TOWN 福建晋江安海镇
- SHANDONG WEISHAN NANYANG TOWN 山东微山南阳镇
This is the 4th stamp is a series that started in 2013. It is published every 3 years
Designer: Yang Zhiying 杨志英
Artists: Xu Zhe 徐喆, Yang Zhiying 杨志英
Release date: May 19, 2022
Gusu Bustling Map | 姑苏繁华图
6 stamps, 3 sheets of 12
The original artwork is held by the Liaoning Provincial Museum. Painted by a court painter Xu Yang, of the Qing Dynasty, and completed in 1759. The images are from a large scroll depicting the area.
In the early Qing Dynasty, Suzhou was the most economically and culturally developed city in the country. Shen Yu, a Kangxi dynasty man, said: “Gusu is the most important in southeast China; Gusu is the most important in southeast water conservancy; and Gusu is the most prosperous in southeast china.” He also said suzhou, “the treasures produced by the mountains and seas, the goods and shells that foreign countries pass, the four-way exchange, the merchants of thousands of miles, and the shoulders are spoke.” “Gusu Prosperous Map” – a portrayal of the cultural prosperity of Suzhou in the Qing Dynasty| Qianlong | Prosperity Breeding Chart | Xu Yang_ NetEase Subscription (163.com) (In simplified Chinese, uses Google translate for a good translation)
The design of this set focuses on 6 portions of the scrolling map Lingyan Mountain, Mudu Town, Shihe Ershan, Wannian Bridge, Zhangmen and Tiger Hill
Artist: Xu Yang 徐扬 (1712– @1777) court painter for Qianlong Emperor (1735-1796), 6th emperor of the Qing Dynasty
Designer: Xing Wenwei 邢文伟
Release date: May 18, 2022
Dongting Lake | 洞庭湖
4 stamps, mini sheet, 2 sheets of 12, 2 FDCs
- Junshan Diecui
- Lingyun Crane
- Chengtou rice
- Tongjiang Dahai
- Zhang Dongting Tianxia small sheet
Dongting is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in China. The stamps will show Junshan Pinecui, Lingyun Crane Shadow, Chengtou Daoyuan, Tongjiang Dahai. The mini sheet will show Dongting World Water.
Designer: Xu Li 徐里
Release date: May 28, 2022
June
I Grew Up With My Motherland | 我和祖国一起成长
5 stamps, souvenir sheet of 10
Designer: The collective creation of the Central Academy of Fine Arts 中央美术学院集体创作
Artists: Kang Lei, Wang Zikun, Feng Xu, Kong Liang, Liu Qing with overall design: Hang Hai
原画作者:康蕾;二图原画作者:王子锟;三图原画作者:冯旭;四图原画作者:孔亮;五图雕塑作者:柳青;设计:杭海
Release date: June 1, 2022
120th Anniversary of the Founding of Southeast University
1 stamp, sheets of 12
offset
Designer: Yu Qiuyan | 于秋艳
Engraver: Xu Zhe | 徐喆
Release date: June 6, 2022
Hydropower Construction
2 stamps, 2 sheets of 6
offset
- Wudongde Hydropower Station | 乌东德水电站
- Baihetan Hydropower Station | 白鹤滩水电站
Designer: Guo Zhenshan | 郭振山
Release date: June 28, 2022
Centenary of the Adoption of the First Constitution of the Communist Party of China
1 stamp, sheet of 12
Designer: Zhang Fan | 张帆
Release date: July 23, 2022
August
Chinese Seal Engraving
4 stamps, sheets of 12
offset embossed
These four seals can be found in the Palace Museum, Shanghai Museum, Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum
- Sengoku Waiji furnace hammer
- Qin Yiyang Jinyin
- Han Shuoning Wang Empress Xi
- Tang Zhongshu Provincial Seal
Chinese seal engraving is developed from the ancient Chinese seal making technology that combines calligraphy (mainly seal writing) and engraving (including chiseling and casting), and has a history of more than 3,000 years…In 2009, the Chinese seal inscription was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Special Stamp of “Seal Engraving of China” – China Post Group Co., Ltd
Art of Chinese seal engraving – intangible heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO
Designer: Rong Tie | 容铁 (president of the Seal Collection and Research Committee of the China Collectors Association, director of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, director of the China Artists Association, and director of the Xiling Printing Society)
Release date: August 5, 2022
Lide Cultivating People
regular issue
1 stamp, sheet of 12
Designer: Chen Nan
Release date: August 7, 2022
Qin Opera | 秦腔
3 stamps, 3 sheets of 9
- 火焰驹 Flaming Foal
- 三滴血 Three Drops of Blood
- 游西湖 Tour West Lake
Classified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Qin Opera – China – Chinadaily.com.cn has a very brief article on Qin. In English.
Three operas will be featured Flame Foal, Three Drops of Blood and West Lake Tour | 《火焰驹》《三滴血》《游西湖》
If you’re unfamiliar with Chinese opera, and more specifically Qin Opera, try the video below. The opera has to be seen with the incredible costumes to be fully appreciated. The video below is The Flame Foal. If you’d like to explore different forms of Chinese opera, YouTube has a large selection, including shorter clips.
Designers: Lu Jieyuan, Guo Xianlu | 录洁囡、郭线庐
Edge decorations on sheets: Liu Guancong | 刘冠丛
Release date: August 13, 2022
Chinese Space Station
4 stamps
Release date: August 2022
September
Animation – Black Cat Sheriff | 黑猫警长
5 stamps, sheet of 10
uses gold and silver special metal ink
Black Cat Sheriff, from Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio, was a popular and influential children’s cartoon from the 80s and 90s. If you poke around the internet, you can find some of the videos online. There were 5 episodes produced in 1984. The Black Cat Sheriff solved a number of cases and battled evil hamsters (hey, we all knew there was something suspect about those furry little rodents!), solved the mysterious case of the mantis, protected animals in the forest and basically helped everyone live peaceful lives.
The tale was based on a character created by Zhu Zhixiang (诸志祥).
- Uniform Bandit
- Catch the Evil Eagle
- Defend Home
- Side by side
- won a big victory
Designer: Shang Ying 尚盈
Courtesy Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio Co., Ltd 上海美术电影制片厂有限公司
Release date: September 3, 2022
Tiger (cultural relic) 虎
3rd in cultural relics series
6 stamps, 6 sheets of 12
Different printing processes were used for each stamp:
The first picture is overprinted with rubber carving, and the pattern of the double-tailed bronze tiger cultural relics of Fu Bird is clear and the image is lifelike; The second picture adds jade powder on the basis of offset printing and embossing to restore the natural luster and warm effect of the green jade tiger shape. The third picture is based on multi-color offset printing with silk screen matte sand and relief embossing process, which makes the image of the white tiger more vivid; The fourth picture uses cold hot stamping technology and convex process to replicate the ancient gold wrong process, and the image of the copper tiger is majestic and more three-dimensional; The fifth picture uses varnish and relief embossing to create a serene and cute image of the tiger; The sixth figure uses a tactile oil process to express the texture of the shadow flying tiger, and the fluorescent ink shines under the action of purple light. Chen2022-09-14Source: China Post News
Shang Fu Bird Double-tailed Bronze Tiger
- Spring and Autumn Jade Tiger Shaped Pei
- Han White Tiger Wadang
- Han False Gold Inscription Copper Tiger Festival
- Gold Cizhou kiln white glazed brown flower Crouching Tiger pillow
- Qing Shadow Flying Tiger
The tigers are held in the following museums (in order):
- Jiangxi Provincial Museum
- Henan Museum
- National Museum of China
- Museum of the King of Nanyue,
- Zhoukou Museum
- National Art Museum of China
This site provides an interesting look at the importance of tigers in Chinese culture What Does A Tiger Symbolize In Chinese Culture? | Son Of China.
Tigers are majestic creatures that are highly revered in China. It is loved not just for its beauty but for its ferocity as well. It is among the most important creatures in China, along with dragons and phoenixes. The Chinese have shared a close relationship with tigers since Ancient China. (See link above)
Details of each image, courtesy China Post:
“Shang Fu Bird Double-tailed Bronze Tiger”, 53.5 cm long, 25.5 cm high, weighs 6.2 kg. It is the largest pre-Qin bronze tiger seen in China so far, and it is known as the “Tiger King”. It is in the Jiangxi provincial museum.
“Spring and Autumn Jade Tiger Shaped Pendant”, 14.6 cm long and 4.4 cm wide, jade yellowish, crystal fine, tiger-shaped low head bow back, tail tip up rolled up. The ornamentation is simple, the shape is vivid, and the carving is exquisite. It is in the Henan Museum.
“Han White Tiger Wadang”, diameter 18.7 cm, side wheel width 2.1 cm, thickness 2 cm. Round, clay pottery. A white tiger decorated in relief around the central breast pillar, its whole body is striped, its mouth is raised with claws, the tiger’s tail is curved, strong and powerful, and its appearance is mighty. It is in the collection of the National Museum of China.
“Han Que Jin Inscription Bronze Tiger Festival”, length 19 cm, height 11.6 cm, thickness 1.2 cm. On the front of the body there is a false gold inscription “King’s Life = (Fate) Chakra”. It is the only piece of wrong gold inscription copper tiger festival found in China so far. It is hidden in the Museum of the King of Nanyue.
“Golden Cizhou kiln white glazed brown flower Crouching Tiger Pillow”, length 34 cm, width 14 cm, height 10 cm. The fierce tiger is a pillow, which embodies the psychological sustenance of the ancients to ward off evil spirits and pray for auspiciousness. It is in the collection of Zhoukou City Museum.
“Qing Shadow Flying Tiger”, Shaanxi Qishan Shadow Flying Tiger, length 42 cm, height 28 cm. The exaggerated tiger steps on the auspicious clouds, surrounded by flames, the eyes are round, the image is mighty, full of spirit, full of romantic color. In the collection of the National Art Museum of China.
Each stamp has a small security feature, but the Qing Shadow Flying Tiger has a beautiful hidden feature:
Previous stamps in the series Dragon and Phoenix
Designer: Wang Huming | 王虎鸣
Release date: September 5, 2022
Modern Chinese Scientists
9th in series which started in 1988
4 stamps, 4 sheets of 16
offset engraving overprinting
This series began in 1988. 4 stamps will be issued featuring:
- Cheng Kaijia (physicist)
- Wu Wenjun (mathematician)
- Liu Dongsheng (geologist)
- Yuan Longping (agronomist)
邮票内容表现程开甲(物理学家)、吴文俊(数学家)、刘东生(地质学家)、袁隆平(农学家)
Designer: Li Chen 李晨
Li Chen has designed over 60 stamps for China Post. He is a graphic artist known for his serial comics. He spoke about the creative process he used to bring this series to life in a Sept. 18, 2022, interview. The article is in Chinese but translates well.
“I drew three sets of tickets with a total of 12 scientists, and the process of drawing them was like archaeology and detective cases, and I examined each scientist’s experience, background, social circle, and even the clothes they wore and the expressions on their faces, so as to [understand] the characters thoroughly.” After doing these homework, the characters are shaped into a grand theme. ” …
Before writing, the stamp artwork editor and the scientists’ families provided Li Chen with a batch of photos of scientists for reference. Li Chen then selects suitable photos from the perspective of painting creation and uses sketching techniques to copy the painting. “To understand the mental journey of the characters, to be familiar with the demeanor and temperament of the characters, it is easy to draw. I have gone to the two bomb cities of Jiayuguan and Mianyang, tracing the footprints and mental journey of Yu Min and Cheng Kaijia. When I use a brush to talk to scientists and restore their smiles to paper, that’s when I paint. “Li Chen talks about the creation process of the ninth group of commemorative stamps of “Modern Chinese Scientists”_characters_background_picture (sohu.com)
Release date: September 7, 2022
120th Anniversary of the Founding of Beijing Normal University
1 stamp, sheet of 12
Beijing Normal University (bnu.edu.cn)
Designer: Yu Tong 于童
Release date: September 8, 2022
Years of abundance
regular issue
1 stamp, sheet of 12
Designer: Guo Zhiyi
Release date: September 23, 2022
October
China Famous Pavilion
2nd in series
4 stamps, 2 sheets of 12 (2 different stamps on each sheet)
- Zhichunting 知春亭
- Water flow cloud in the pavilion 水流云在亭
- Wanchun Pavilion 万春亭
- Shuanghuan Pavilion 双环亭
Designer: 焦洋 Jiao Yang associate professor of the School of Chinese Painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts
Border artist :焦洋 Xia Jingqiu
Border designer:夏竞秋 Wang Jing
Release date: October 3, 2022
20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China
2 stamps, 2 mini sheets, 2 sheets of 16
- Strive for a new journey
- New Era of Meritorious Service
- Souvenir sheet shows the convening of the 20th Congress
Designer: Central Academy of Fine Arts Collective Creation (Gao Hong, Fan Di’an, Lv Pinjing, Qiang Yong, Hao Ninghui, Liu Qing, Jia Luyao, Luo Yunze, Lv You)
设计者:中央美术学院集体创作(执笔:高洪、范迪安、吕品晶、强勇、郝凝辉、柳青、贾璐遥、罗允泽、吕游)
Release date: October 16, 2022
Zhang Zhongjing | 张仲景
2 stamps, 1 stamp on mini sheet, souvenir sheet (both stamps) 2 sheets of 16
offset
This is part of a series that began in 2011 featuring ancient sages.
Zhang Zhongjing (chinaculture.org)
Designer: 刘金贵 Liu Jingui
Release date: October 27, 2022
November
Pigeons
4 stamps, 2 sheets of 12
- rock pigeon
- spot-tailed forest pigeon
- snow pigeon
- Pinned pigeon
China Post’s write up was quite interesting:
The pigeon with a beautiful image and a docile temperament is the darling of Eastern and Western cultures. Western culture sees pigeons as symbols of peace, love and equality, while Chinese culture sees pigeons as symbols of faith and family harmony. Nowadays, in major cities, it has become fashionable to raise square pigeons, and the image of pigeons is becoming more and more loved and welcomed by people.
There are 10 species of wild pigeons in China, and this stamp shows four of them, namely rock pigeons, spot-tailed forest pigeons, snow pigeons and spotted forest pigeons. The artwork depicts the habitat and morphology of the pigeons in detail in the form of animal science paintings, realistically presents the living conditions of the four pigeons in the wild, and fully shows the natural and harmonious beauty of the birds depicted. “Pigeon” Special Stamp – China Post Group Limited
Designer: Zeng Xiaolian 曾孝濂
Release date: November 5, 2022
National parks
5 stamps, 5 sheets of 12
This is the first in a new series. 5 parks will be featured:
- Sanjiangyuan National Park
- Giant Panda National Park
- Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park
- Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park
- Wuyishan National Park
Designers: Ma Lihang, Liu Bo and Yin Xiaofei
Release date: November 5, 2022
Five Blessings & Chinese New Year
2 stamps, 2 sheets of 20, sheet of 4, souvenir sheet
Original artwork: Wu Guanying 吴冠英
Wu is currently a professor at the Academy of Art and Design of Tsinghua University. He designed the mascot for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. He also designed the New Year’s Greetings stamps for 2015, 2016 and 2017 as well as China’s 2011 Year of the Rabbit stamp, his first stamp design. In an interview in 2017, Wu described the 2011 design process:
“The designers who received the invitation had to compare drafts, and the postal group organized an expert competition, selected two, and then selected the final works after nearly half a year of revision.” When designing the rabbit ticket, Wu Guanying drew more than 200 rabbits in half a year.” Wu Guanying: From “Fuwa” to Zodiac Stamps More than 30 years of concentrating on artistic creation–Calligraphy and Painting–People’s Network (In Chinese and translates well).
Designer: Shi Yuan 史渊
Release date: November 15, 2022
December
Chinese Space Station
4 stamps, 4 sheets of 12, souvenir sheet
offset
- Tiandi round trip
- Space Science
- out-of-cabin activity
- Space Home
Designers: Wang Huming, Dong Qi, Xia Jingqiu | 王虎鸣、董琪、夏竞秋
Illustrator: Yu Tong | 于童
Release date: December 25, 2022
See all of last year’s stamps from China here 中国邮政 Chinese 2021 stamps
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