China Post marks Year of the Rat with stamps, merchandise

China Post began to issue an annual set of postal stamps in 1980 to mark each of the 12 zodiac animal that matched the year.

The Year of the Rat stamps, to be officially issued on Jan 5, 2020, are designed by Han Meilin, a prominent artist and designer whose zodiac sign is also rat. The set of two stamps show rats in a signature playful style of Han.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the zodiac stamps, China Post has also launched a series of relevant merchandise products, including a colorful album featuring the Year of the Rat stamps and photos of rat-themed artifacts at museums across the country, first-issue envelops and sets of gold leaves shaped after the rats Han designed.