France issues special stamps marking Chinese New Year of Horse

PARIS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- France's La Poste Group on Friday issued two stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Horse.

The stamps feature horses set against a yellow background with red saddles. One depicts a leaping horse in a strong, dynamic pose full of energy, while the other shows a horse turning its head in a calm and composed portrait.

The two stamps correspond to different postal uses. The stamp featuring a leaping horse is for domestic mail in France and has a face value of 2.25 euros (2.66 U.S. dollars), while the other, valued at 1.52 euros (1.79 U.S. dollars), is intended for international mail.

Chen Jianghong, an artist of Chinese origin who designed the stamps, said the horse symbolizes strength and loyalty in Chinese culture. Through the use of color, lines and rhythm, he sought to convey the animal's sense of movement and freedom.

The two horses also pay tribute to the artistic heritage of both countries, Chen said, adding that one draws inspiration from the rearing horse ridden by Napoleon in the works of French painter Jacques-Louis David, while the other echoes the saddled horses depicted by Tang Dynasty Chinese painter Han Gan, creating a sense of dialogue between civilizations.

Jean-Paul Forceville, director of European and international relations at La Poste Group, said stamps remain both collectible items and powerful messengers, adding that they are also "a kind of diplomatic object" that helps celebrate closer ties and friendship between two countries.

Since 2005, La Poste Group has marked the Chinese Lunar New Year each year by issuing stamps featuring the zodiac animal of the year.

The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, which are used to record the years and reflect people's attributes, are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. ■