1998-08, Architecture of Dai Nationality《傣族建筑》

Stamp Title: Architecture of Dai Nationality
Scott No: 2855, 2856, 2857, 2858
Serial number: 1998-8
Values in set: 4
(4-1), Storied Building, 50 fen, 50*30mm
(4-2), Well, 50 fen, 50*30mm
(4-3), Pavilion, 150 fen, 50*30mm
(4-4), Pagoda, 150 fen, 50*30mm
Date of issue: April 12, 1998
Designers: Xiao Rong; Yang Jiankun
Size of stamp: 50*30mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 32
Printing process: gravure
Printing house: Beijing postage stamp printing works

Dai nationality is an ancient nationality in Southwest China and Southeast Asian region. The rich Dai culture has fostered unique human landscapes of the Dai nationality. Of the human landscapes, architecture of Dai nationality is especially striking. The Dai people live in concentration in regions which are lush in forest, abundant in bamboo, humid and rainy. Therefore, the Dai people use bamboo and wood to build their long pillar-propped dwellings, also called the bamboo houses. A bamboo house is normally a two-storeyed house, which is not only pleasant looking but also suitable and practical for living. The Dai people believe in Hinayana, and their Buddhist architectures also have their distinctive features. The coniform and pointed body of the Dai style pagodas make them look like bamboo shoots. The Dai style Buddhist architecture, with the Octagonal Pavilion of the scripture hall of the Jingzhen Temple as its representative, is sophisticated in structure, elegant and exquisite in style. In the Dai areas, there are Dai-style wells everywhere. On top of some of the wells, Buddhist pagodas or vertical stone statues were built directly. Against the backdrop of tropical plants as areca palms, fern-leaf hedge bamboo and banana trees, bamboo houses, wells, temples and pagodas and Buddhist halls reveal the charming, poetic scenery of the Dai nationality.

1998年特种邮票《傣族建筑》
国家邮政局1998年4月12日发行《傣族建筑》特种邮票1套4枚。
（4-1）T 楼 50 分 4159.9万枚
（4-2）T 井 50 分 4033.5万枚
（4-3）T 亭 150 分 3198.3万枚
（4-4）T 塔 150 分 3239.9万枚
志号名称：1998-8T
版别：影写
整版枚数：32枚
全套面值：4.00元
邮票规格：30×50毫米
齿孔度数：11.5度
设计者：肖溶、杨建昆
印制机构：北京邮票厂

傣族是个历史悠久的少数民族，古时称为“掸”、“金齿”、“白衣”、“白夷”、“摆夷”等，解放后按本民族自称的音译为傣族，即“自由”之意。傣族人口有100多万，主要分布在云南省西双版纳傣族自治州和德宏傣族景颇族自治州的河谷平坝地区。这里气候温和，空气湿润，阳光朗朗，有着大片生态系统保持完整的热带原始森林，油棕、贝叶棕、大青树、槟榔等随处可见，且四季常青;金丝猴、绿孔雀、长臂猿、各种蟒蛇和蝶类到处出没，繁衍茂盛，堪称一块“美丽神奇的乐土”。这种独特的自然地理环境，孕育了傣族内涵丰富的民族风情和生活习俗;而那里特有的历史文化氛围，也造就出傣族神秘而虔诚的宗教信仰。傣族服饰、傣族歌舞，均令世人瞩目;而颇有民族特色的傣族建筑，更凝聚着傣族人民的辛勤和智慧。干栏式的两层竹楼是傣族人民因地制宜的一种主要民居形式。此外，玲珑华丽的佛塔、佛寺等也均为傣族极富民族特色的建筑。

1998年4月12日，为宣传和弘扬我国少数民族建筑文化，信息产业部发行了《傣族建筑》特种邮票，全套4枚。