2001-10, Duan Wu Festival《端午节》

Stamp Title: Duan Wu Festival
Scott No: 3110, 3111, 3112
Serial number:2001-10
Values in set: 3
(3-1), Dragon Boat Race, 80 fen, 40*30mm
(3-2), Making Zongzi, 80 fen, 40*30mm
(3-3), Expelling Five poisons, 280 fen, 40*30mm
Denomination: 4.40 yuan
Date of issue:25th June 2001
Designer: Shang Yu and Huang Li
Size of stamps: 40*30mm
Perforation:13
Sheet compositon:
Sheet 1:40;
Sheet 2: 9
Printing process:gravure
Printer:Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The traditional Dragon Boat Festival of China was on June 25 this year. Dragon boat race, eating zongzi and hanging out five-coloured thread are age-long activities to celebrate the holiday. Studies indicate that the Dragon Boat Festival originated in primitive people’s worships of tribal totems. Legend has it that the holiday was initiated in memory of Qu Yuan, a stateman and patriolic poet of the Kingdom of Chu during the Warring States period. Qu Yuan was exiled by the king because of slandering by evil officiais. He drowned himself in the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month to express his devotion to his country. Deeply grieved, the local people threw many zongzi dumplings into the river so that the fish would not eat him and they tried to save him racing to his throwing spot by boat. Making Zongzi and dragon boat race have since become major activities to mark the festival.

2001年特种邮票《端午节》
国家邮政局2001年6月25日发行《端午节》特种邮票1套3枚。
（3-1）T 赛龙舟 80分 2700万枚
（3-2）T 包粽子 80分 1700万枚
（3-3）T 避五毒 280分 1700万枚

志号：2001-10T
版别：影写
全套面值：440分
齿孔度数：13度
邮票规格：40×30毫米
整版枚数：40（5×8）、版式二9 枚（每图各自为一版）
版式二规格：180mm×120mm
版式二发行量：130万版
设计者：尚予、黄里
印刷厂：北京邮票厂

2001年的端午节(2001年6月25日)，国家邮政局发行了2001—10《端午节》邮票一套三枚。第一枚“赛龙舟”以我国传统的木版年画构图，两条龙舟你追我赶，舟上插着“风调雨顺”、“国泰民安”的彩旗，一派吉祥气息;第二枚包粽子，图案是五颜六色的粽子;第三枚“避五毒”，是被古代人称为“五毒”的五种小动物——— 蛇、蝎、壁虎、蜈蚣、蜘蛛，色彩鲜艳，生动逼真。

农历五月初五，是我国民间隆重的传统节日–端午节。又称端阳节、端五节、重五节等，民间俗称“五月节”。因“端”与“初”同义，“五”与“午”同音，按地支顺序推算，五月为“午月”;故五月初五日称“端午”。

端午节，这一历史悠久的古老节日，其起源说可谓众多。其一是恶月、恶日说。这是我国较早出现的岁时禁忌习俗，早在战国时代，视五月及五月的五日为恶月、恶日的俗信就已经存在。其二是吴越民族图腾祭说。闻一多先生认为，古代吴越民族以龙为图腾，端午节时他们要举行盛大的图腾祭，故端午应称“龙子节”。其三是纪念贤臣、孝女说。如民间传说中的纪念介子推说、纪念伍子胥说、纪念屈原说、纪念孝女曹娥说等等，迄今为止，影响最广的是纪念屈原说。