Immigrating to Singapore friends have a great place to visit this Lunar New Year! To welcome the Year of the Monkey Lunar New Year, recently the Singapore Philatelic Museum held an exhibition titled "World of Monkeys", featuring over 300 stamps from numerous countries and regions in Asia, Africa, and South America related to monkeys, including the first monkey zodiac stamp issued by China.
From pop culture to art, and from endangered primates to fables and folklore involving monkeys, these stamps are not only artistically charming but also carry a wealth of knowledge and stories within their small frames. The exhibition will run until September 25th.
Singapore Post issued a set of three monkey zodiac stamps on January 8th, which is the ninth commemorative set since it launched the Chinese Zodiac stamp series in 2008. This set was designed by Leo Teck Chong, and each stamp vividly displays the agility and liveliness of monkeys.
In February 1950, Japan issued the world's first set of zodiac stamps. In 2016, Japan also issued 4 monkey zodiac stamps, one of which can be seen at the exhibition.
Among the exhibits of monkey-related stamps issued in previous years, there are 54 stamps from China. The first 'Red Monkey Stamp' issued by China in February 1980 is also on display. This zodiac stamp, 'Year of the Gengshen,' has a face value of 8 RMB and was printed using a combination of photogravure and engraving. The original artwork was by the famous painter Huang Yongyu, designed by Shao Bolin, and engraved by Jiang Weijie.
When mentioning monkeys, Chinese people often think of Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) from 'Journey to the West.' There are also many stamps related to Sun Wukong in this exhibition. Chua Meiling, a researcher at the Singapore Philatelic Museum, told reporters: 'Sun Wukong is a classic character that almost all Chinese people know. When I was doing research, I found that there were so many stamps featuring the image of Sun Wukong. People love Sun Wukong, which is very interesting. The colors of the stamps are also very beautiful.'
Through the exhibition, people can also learn about some folk beliefs regarding the zodiac. For example, according to astrology and traditional cultural perceptions, people born in the Year of the Monkey are often curious, humorous, and intelligent. The exhibition also introduces the living habits of monkeys and the current survival status of primates. Currently, human destruction of forests and poaching have led some primates, such as the golden langur and squirrel monkey, to the brink of extinction. By introducing this knowledge, the exhibition aims to raise more people's awareness of animal and environmental protection.
Tresnawati, General Manager of the Singapore Philatelic Museum, said that stamps can help people understand the world, and she hopes this exhibition will allow more people to learn about local and foreign customs, as well as gain a better understanding of monkeys as animals.
To attract children to visit, the Singapore Philatelic Museum has specially designed many interactive activities. Children can listen to the calls of apes, help chimpanzees catch ants through games, and learn English vocabulary related to monkeys through jigsaw puzzles.