The first Chinese stamps bearing the image of the famous cartoon
character Snoopy was issued at the Artron Art Gallery in Shenzhen
yesterday, as part of the Second China (Shenzhen) International
Cultural Industry Fair (ICIF) activities.
Li Kaile, head of the city's post management, said there were
the country's first stamps carrying a cartoon character.
"They are also the first stamps in the country that can be
pasted on envelopes directly without using glue," Li said.
Accompanying Snoopy on the stamps is a traditional Chinese
phoenix, an auspicious creature in Chinese culture.
"The idea of the stamps is bringing the culture of China and the
United States together, with a crossover of the two countries'
symbol," said Shenzhen Vice Mayor Liang Daoxing.
The stamp package, designed by famed designer Wang Huming, is on
sale nationwide.
In each package, there are 10 different kinds of Snoopy stamps
and a first-day cover designed specially for International
Children's Day on June 1.
The first 5,000 packages for the province arrived yesterday. The
stamps and cover, priced at 35 yuan (US$4.38), can be purchased
from most post offices in Shenzhen.
Snoopy is the name of Charlie Brown's pet beagle in the
long-running comic strip "Peanuts," created by Charles M. Shultz in
1950. It is one of the most successful cartoon features worldwide,
appearing in more than 2,000 newspapers.
The cartoon and animation industry is one of the industries
showcased in this year's ICIF.
(Shenzhen Daily May 18, 2006)