2002-23, The Story of Dong Yong and the Seventh Immortal Maiden《民间传说 – 董永与七仙女》

Stamp Title: The Story of Dong Yong and the Seventh Immortal Maiden
Scott No: 3240
Serial number: 2002-23
Values in set: 5 (se-tenant)
(5-1), Dong Yong’s Filial Love Moving Immortals, 80 fen, 30*40 mm
(5-2), The Seventh Immortal Maiden Marrying Dong Yong, 80 fen, 30*40 mm
(5-3), The Seventh Immortal Maiden Weaving Brocade to Buy Dong’s Freedom, 80 fen, 30*40 mm
(5-4), Dong Yong Coming Back Home, 80 fen, 30*40 mm
(5-5), Everlasting Love, 200 fen, 30*40 mm
Denomination: 5.20 yuan
Date of issue: 26th Oct. 2002
Designer: Yu Hongli
Size of stamps: 30*40 mm
Perforation: 13*13.5
Sheet composition: 20
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The Story of Dong Yong and the seventh immortal maiden can be traced back to a stone relief of the Han Dynasty depicting Dong Yong’s filial conducts. In the past 2,000 years, the story has been continuously enriched, and there have appeared many versions. The most representative version is a Huangmei Opera “Love of an Immortal Maiden”. As the story goes, Dong Yong sold himself to be a slave in order to get enough money to bury his dead father. The seventh daughter of Jade Emperor in the Heaven, moved by his filial piety, descended to the earth and married him. She worked hard to buy Dong’s freedom. As they started to enjoy the happy life, Jade Emperor ordered his daughter to return to the Heaven. To protect Dong, the seventh immortal maiden had to part with her husband. This sad, moving love tragedy has long been known to all Chinese people. To them, the honest, simple-hearted, industrious Dong Yong and the beautiful, kind-hearted, sincere Seventh Immortal Maiden symbolize conjugal love.

2002年特种邮票《民间传说 – 董永与七仙女》
国家邮政局2002年10月26日发行《民间传说——董永与七仙女》特种邮票1套5枚。
（5-1）T 孝心感天 80分 1180万枚
（5-2）T 下凡结缘 80分 1180万枚
（5-3）T 织锦赎身 80分 1180万枚
（5-4）T 满工还家 80分 1180万枚
（5-5）T 天地同心 200分 1180万枚
志号：2002-23T
版别：影写
全套面值：520分
整版枚数：20（5×4）{横五枚连印}
齿孔度数：13×13.5度
邮票规格：30×40毫米
设计者：俞宏理
印刷厂：北京邮票厂

相传汉朝有个董永，种田为生。他的父母去世，却无钱入殓，只得把自己卖给财主为奴，换钱葬亲。董永为丧亲和为奴的惨境放声大恸，哭声惊动了玉帝的小女-七仙女。她变成村姑模样，问他缘由，得知其遭遇后，深为其孝行所感动，自愿嫁他为妻。从此，董永为财主干活，七仙女在家织锦，夫妻俩恩爱非常。她织成 的锦广受欢迎。三年后，七仙女用辛勤的汗水，赎回了丈夫的自由，准备一起回家乡去。恰在此时，玉帝发现了小女偷偷下凡嫁人的事，大发雷霆，立刻派耳报神传 话给她：马上返归天庭，否则就降罪于董永。七仙女无奈，只得向丈夫说破自己的来历。翌日，就在三年前董永遇仙的路口，夫妻洒泪相别。七仙女临返前，曾谓后 会有期，从此董永常来此地，拱手仰望蓝天，期盼仙女再降人间。

有诗颂曰：葬父贷孔兄，仙姬陌上逢; 织线偿债主，孝感动苍穹。“董永与七仙女”传说的文献记录最早见于三国魏曹植《灵芝篇》和晋干宝《搜神记》。传说 在汉时已流传很广，多见于砖刻石刻等。此后情节逐渐丰富，改编为各地戏曲剧目，如明传奇剧《织绵记》、黄梅戏《天仙配》、楚剧《百日缘》、婺剧《槐荫树》 等。“董永与七仙女”虽为民间传说，但在历史上确有董永其人。《孝感县志》“人物篇”记载，董永为今山东博兴人，早丧母，汉灵帝中平年间，“奉父来徙”， 南朝宋孝武帝刘骏为褒扬孝道“故名其地曰孝昌”，五代后唐为避讳改“孝昌”为“孝感”，即今湖北孝感市。现称孝感因东汉孝子董永卖身葬父，行孝感天动地而 得名。1980年代中期，孝感建成全国第一处“孝文化”主题公园——董永公园，以优美的园林艺术再现董永的故事。