A Twist in the Tail

By Ji Jing

For Han Meilin， the Chinese New Year of the Rat， which starts on January 25 according to the Chinese lunar calendar， has a stupendous wealth of associations.

The 83-year-old artist， known for his animal paintings， was himself born in the Year of the Rat. In 1996， another Year of the Rat， when Atlanta in the United States held the 26th Olympic Games， he had the honor of creating the Five-Dragon Clock Tower， a 10-meter-high sculpture in the citys Centennial Olympic Park. In 2008， the last Year of the Rat， when China hosted its fi rst Olympic Games in Beijing， he was the chief designer of the Games mascots.

In the English-speaking world， the word rat generally conjures up negativity， associated with cunning， deceit and betrayal. But since the Chinese New Year began to be celebrated worldwide and created awareness about the richness of other cultures， chunjie or the Spring Festival， as the Chinese New Year is popularly known， has become a cultural landmark heralding a new start and a platform for creativity.

Hans creativity continues in the New Year of the Rat with China Post selecting him to design its two special stamps to mark the New Year. The fi rst shows a leaping rat， a reference to a Chinese folk tale in which the rat bit the sky to create an opening so that sunshine could come to Earth. “The jumping rat symbolizes the wish for a better life in the new year，” Han explained on his website.

In the second stamp， a rat family of father， mom and baby sit by a small pile of peanuts， looking into the distance expectantly. That image represents the wish for a bountiful harvest and a happy family life in the new year.

Stamp connoisseurs interest in the Year of the Rat goes beyond borders. For example， on Guernsey， the British island in the English Channel， the postal authorities commissioned Sydney-based artist Chrissy Lau to design Year of the Rat stamps， the seventh set in its Chinese New Year series.

Special Chinese New Year calendars have become collectors items and a tradition. The Palace Museum Calendar， fi rst published from 1933 to 1937， is more than a calendar. Coming in the size of a pocket book， it is a mini encyclopedia of Chinese culture， with half of the pages carrying images of historical places and priceless artifacts.