Yang Zhiying poses for a photo with samples of stamps for the Year of the Snake in Beijing. Photo: Chen Tao/GT

By 3 am,MK sport some citizens in Jinan, East China's Shandong Province had lined up outside a post office, ready to purchase a set of special stamps commemorating the imminent Chinese zodiac Year of the Snake. In the chilly morning, their breath was visible in the cold air, and their faces were etched with eagerness, while they were waiting to see these tiny pieces of art that symbolize the propitious Year of the Snake.

In Beijing, the stamp sales kicked off one hour earlier than usual, at 8 am; and within one hour, all the stamps for the Year of the Snake were sold out.

The popular engraved artwork was made by Yang Zhiying, one of the only nine stamp engravers in China.

"Since September 28, 2024, I have been working on the project. Seven of us stamp engravers were bidding for the set of stamps for the Year of the Snake when my work was selected. I was quite pleased and excited," Yang told the Global Times.

China has released zodiac stamps annually since 1980, which was Year of the Monkey.

Rooted in tradition

Yang reminisced about her journey into the art of craftsmanship, during which she discovered a striking resemblance between the  dots and lines in engraving and the techniques employed in traditional Chinese painting. 

"The dots and lines reminded me of the sketches in Chinese painting. So, the concept in stamp engraving is easy for Chinese people to understand and pick up," Yang said. 

A collector of the works in the form of dots and lines herself, Yang explained that the design for the set of two special stamps for the Year of the Snake has an infusion of the elements of the traditional Chinese culture inspired by Dunhuang murals and folk customs, and ingeniously combines the image of snakes with auspicious meanings, which not only reflects the unique charm of the zodiac culture, but also embodies simple and flexible folk wisdom.

The design enlightened her to feature the agility as well as the cadence and fluency in the stamps. Yang then referred to Chinese paintings that showcase animals and birds. 

Through her creative works in stamp engraving, the even lines in the design copy were varied into different sizes. The adjustment was based on her experience. She also took the following process in printing. By changing the thickness of the lines, Yang has ensured the snakes look even more vivid.
 

The steps for making Year of the Snake stamps Photos: Chen Tao/GT, VCG