On June 1, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued a postage stamp set 'The Tale of the Hundred-Joint Bamboo' consisting of 4 stamps and 1 block, with face values ​​of 4,000 VND, 6,000 VND, 10,500 VND and 15,000 VND respectively. The stamp set will be circulated on the postal network from June 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025.

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Along with the stamp block, the four designs of the stamp set are distilled to summarize the fairy tale 'The Hundred-Joint Bamboo'. Photo: VNP

'The Tale of the Hundred-Joint Bamboo' is the 7th postage stamp set issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications in 2024, after 3 commemorative stamp sets and 3 thematic stamp sets previously issued including: Love stamps; Commemorating the 1,100th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang; Hanoi 12 flower seasons (set 1); Commemorating the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory; Tea tree; Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the completion of Vinh Te canal.

This stamp set is also part of a series of postage stamps issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications to introduce to teenagers, children and stamp collectors at home and abroad typical fairy tales in the treasure trove of Vietnamese fairy tales. Thereby, contributing to conveying profound lessons, rich in humanity of Vietnamese folk tales.

Designed by artist Le Khanh Vuong of Vietnam Post Corporation using graphic methods, condensing the ideas to summarize the basic content of the story, the stamp set 'Fairy Tale of the Hundred-Joint Bamboo' is provided on the postal network from June 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025.

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The stamp set 'The Fairy Tale of the Hundred-Joint Bamboo' has a size of 90 x 70 mm. Photo: VNP

In the 4 stamp designs measuring 32 x 43 mm and the block design measuring 90 x 70 mm, the designer chose to use a folk layout, expressing the old village scene through representative elements of pure Vietnamese culture with 5-room ancient houses, straw trees... which are distilled, condensed and highly expressive. The images of the characters in the stamp set are shown in a general and symbolic manner.

As one of the typical stories in the treasure trove of Vietnamese fairy tales, 'The Hundred-Joint Bamboo' promotes diligence, honesty and the desire to fight for justice and righteousness in life. The story is about a poor, gentle and hard-working boy who works for a rich man with the promise that the rich man will marry his daughter to him 3 years later.

When the time came, the rich man did not keep his promise and added a requirement that the young man must find a bamboo with a hundred joints before he could fulfill his promise. The young man went into the forest to look for the bamboo with a hundred joints but could not find it, so he sat down and cried. Buddha appeared and told the young man to find and cut down a hundred bamboo joints and taught him the magic words 'engage, enter' to join the bamboo joints and 'engage, exit' to separate the bamboo joints.

Returning to the village, he saw the rich man organizing a wedding for his daughter with another man. The young man showed the rich man the bamboo joints and recited a spell that caused the rich man to be sucked into the bamboo. Only when the rich man agreed to keep his promise did he recite the spell to release the rich man. Finally, the poor young man and the rich man's daughter lived happily ever after.

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The stamp set 'Vietnamese Fairy Tale Starfruit Tree' designed by artist Nguyen Du was issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on June 25, 2022. Photo: VNP

On the occasion of the Ministry of Information and Communications issuing the stamp set 'The Fairy Tale of the Hundred-Joint Bamboo', the Stamp Company under Vietnam Post provides many publications related to postage stamp lovers at home and abroad. Currently, stamp collectors and enthusiasts can order the stamp set and accompanying publications online on the Stamp Company's website at vietnamstamp.com.vn, such as: first-issue envelopes, giant postcards, toothed live stamps, toothless live stamps...

Before the stamp set 'The Hundred-Joint Bamboo Fairy Tale', the Ministry of Information and Communications issued many stamp sets on the theme of Vietnamese folk tales, including some typical stamp sets such as: 'The Legend of Lac Long Quan - Au Co' including 6 stamps, issued on April 4, 2000; 'The Legend of Mai An Tiem (the story of the watermelon)', including 4 stamps and 1 block, issued on June 1, 2021; 'Vietnamese Fairy Tale The Starfruit Tree', including 4 stamps and 1 block, issued on June 25, 2022.

Hanoi's 12 flower seasons on postage stamps The first set in a series of 4 postage stamps "Hanoi 12 flower seasons" was issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on April 26, including 3 designs and 1 stamp block showing images of 3 types of flowers: peach, ban and white sưa of spring.