New postal stamp set celebrates Lunar New Year of Dragon

HÀ NỘI — The sacred dragon is the main object depicted in a new set of postal stamps to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Dragon.

Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communication, the collection consists of two stamps and one plate block designed by artist Nguyễn Quang Vinh.

Both the stamps feature a golden dragon on bright blue and pink backgrounds, presenting the festive Tết atmosphere.

The postal stamp depicts a rising dragon (Thăng Long), symbolising Việt Nam’s World Heritage of the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel in Hà Nội. — Photos courtesy of Vietnam Post

The design idea of the stamps came from the image of the Rising Dragon (Thăng Long) and the Descending Dragon (Hạ Long) – two of Việt Nam’s World Heritage sites that need to be preserved.

The stamp collection has been released with the aim to promote Việt Nam’s World Heritage sites to the postal community and international stamp collectors.

Alongside the main object of the dragon, the stamp backgrounds have been decorated with the motif of a carp turning into a dragon – a symbol of strength, renewal and strong development.

This motif also demonstrates the talent, distinctive qualities, persistence and willingness to face difficulties and challenges to achieve the dream of becoming a dragon.

The postal stamp depicts a descending dragon (Hạ Long), symbolising Việt Nam’s World Heritage of Hạ Long Bay in Quảng Ninh Province.

Through this image, the stamp set represents the country’s significant transformation to catch up with the world’s development and to become a new “Asian Dragon”.

The plate block features a group of nine raising dragons symbolising the Cửu Long River (or Mekong River) ​that brings prosperity for the Southwestern region.

In Vietnamese culture, the dragon is a sacred symbol associated with the legend of “Descendants of The Dragon and The Fairy”, the origin story of Vietnamese people whose progenitors were a dragon and a fairy. In Vietnamese belief, the dragon is among the four sacred animals including Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix.

The new stamp set is available for sale from January till the end of June 2025. — VNS