New stamps designs have been released to celebrate the Year of the Horse. Photos courtesy of MoST

HÀ NỘI — A new collection of stamps and a new coin have been introduced to the public to celebrate the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The Year of the Horse stamps and 'Nhật Mã Phi Vân' (Cloud-flying Sun Horse) coins have been released by the Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Việt Nam Post Corporation, in expectation of a new year of peace, positivity and good fortune.

Two new stamps have been released with a stamp block and convey a message in Vietnamese: Mã đáo thành công (the horse's return will surely bring success), a familiar yet profound wish for faith in a new journey that is bright, enduring and successful.

In Eastern culture, the horse is a revered symbol of speed, perseverance and loyalty. It is also fundamentally a 'yang' energy, translating to strength and action.

Deeply integrated into Vietnamese traditions, horses are associated with nobility and military prowess, and in folklore as legendary creatures capable of flight. They are celebrated in the zodiac for representing achievement and good fortune. 

Inspired by these meanings, the stamp set features a white and a red horse carrying drums to take part in the spring festival. The designs are presented in a contemporary folk style, marking the first time the legendary 'Nine-Mane Horse' is featured on Vietnamese Lunar New Year stamps.

The white horse, with its graceful appearance and long mane, carrying a set of small drums, embodies feminine energy (yin). Meanwhile, the red horse, with its strong and sturdy build, also carrying a large drum, symbolises masculine energy (yang).

Both figures come together in a harmonious balance of yin and yang, symbolising equilibrium, harmony and an auspicious beginning. The horses bowing to one another further conveys humility and warmth, radiating a sense of family unity and love as the new year begins.

The stamp block.

The block design deepens the narrative, with an image of eight galloping horses centred on a majestic 'Thousand-Mile Horse' with phoenix wings. One horse turns back to urge its companions forward, expressing a spirit of companionship and collective progress. This scene highlights the idea of 'success upon arrival' as more than reaching a goal – it is a journey shaped by mutual support, perseverance and shared achievement.

The new collection of stamps and a coin to wish good luck, prosperity and breakthroughs in the new year.

The coin that comes with the collection is designed to convey a wish for a bright, open and prosperous future, conveying the spirit of leadership, breakthroughs and enlightening light.

On the coin, the image of a horse striding through the clouds symbolises new opportunities and the aspiration to reach wider horizons.

The coins are intended for a wide range of customers, from collectors and those seeking meaningful Tết gifts to businesses and partners wishing to choose a lucky symbol to start the new year. However, it is only being issued in limited quantities. — VNS