Stamp Title: Year of Tiger (1998 Wu-Yin Year)《戊寅年-虎》
Serial number: 1998-1
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: January 5, 1998
Designers: Wang Huming ; Ma Gang
Size: 26*31mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 32
Printing process: gravure-engraving combined

1998 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar. The heavenly stems and earthly branches were the traditional Chinese method for numbering the years. The tiger is the third of the third of the 12 zodiac animals. In popular China, the tiger has always been considered the king of all beasts, a sign of might, strength the households. In Licheng of Shanxi Province, there is a legend about a tiger taming a mountain monster: The mountain monster, manipulating a drove of poisonous snakes, insects and scorpions, did harm to the local residents. When a deity came, he offered elixirs of life to detoxify the locals. Prior to his departure, he presented a “divine gift”-a gold tiger-to the locals. Safety had been guaranteed for the households and people of Licheng ever since. Later, locals began to sew cloth tigers of various descriptions, and children began to wear tiger-head shoes and tiger-head caps. This practice has been passed down to the present and has evolved into a local tradition.

The Year of the Tiger arrives with the spring and vigor of the tiger. The lovely cloth tiger from Licheng is chosen to the zodiac animals series of stamps: It is a work of fold art, vividly shaped, brightly coloured and yet simple and pure, and is full of vigor and vitality.

国家邮政局1998年1月5日发行《戊寅年-虎》特种邮票1套2枚。
（2-1）T 虎虎生威 50 分 10028.7万枚
（2-2）T 气贯长虹 150 分 8556.7万枚
志号名称：1998-1T
版别：影写、雕刻套印
整版枚数：32枚
全套面值：2.00元
邮票规格：26×31毫米
齿孔度数：11.5度
原画作者：（2-1）高秋英（布老虎制作）
设计者：王虎鸣、马刚
雕刻者：姜伟杰、李庆发
印制机构：北京邮票厂