Recently, China issued a set of zodiac stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dog.

The theme for this round of zodiac stamps is "happy family," and the new stamps depict Chinese domestic dogs.

The year 2018 marks Chinese "Wu Xu Year," the Year of the Dog.

In fact, not only zodiac stamps, elements of Chinese New Year can be found in many forms of Chinese folk arts.

Zodiac stamps for Year of the Dog

China Post says the first stamp depicts a male dog with its chin up and its eyes straight ahead. Its two ears point upward, while its hind legs are forcefully thrust against the ground, ready to pounce on any intruders.

The second stamp shows a brown bitch lovingly gazing at its puppy. The black puppy holds its head up high and tries to stand straight. The mother and the puppy stand side by side, demonstrating maternal love.

The two stamps are connected, signifying a peaceful, harmonious family, and a prosperous, flourishing nation.

New Year Paintings

New Year Painting is a unique art form in Chinese folk culture, which is used to decorate doors, walls and windows on the Chinese New Year to invite heavenly blessings.

Tiger-head shoes

Tiger-head shoes are an example of traditional Chinese folk handicraft used as footwear for children. Their name comes from the toe cap, which looks like the head of a tiger.

In Chinese culture, tigers are regarded as auspicious and people embroider the head and the upper of the shoes with tiger or tiger-head patterns in the hope that their children will become as robust and dynamic as tigers.

Tiger-head caps and shoes have a huge market particularly during the cold winter and the New Year period.

Paper cutting

The art of paper-cutting in China may date back to the second century AD, since paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty(25-220 AD) in China. As paper became more affordable, paper-cutting became one of the most important of Chinese folk arts.

Usually, the artworks are made of red paper, as red is associated with festivities and happiness in Chinese culture, but other colors are also used. They often appear at Spring Festival, weddings and childbirth, and always symbolize luck and happiness.

Couplets

It is a tradition for Chinese to paste couplets on walls to solicit good luck during the Spring Festival.