MONKEY
Monkeys are the primates closest to humans. Monkeys are intelligent and dexterous, and therefore loved by people. The monkey's agile and playful appearance of monkeys is full of people's yearning and pursuit for a better life. Monkey culture has deep-rooted feelings and recognition in us. Since ancient times, the monkey has been considered a mascot, its joyful and auspicious image adds a bit of color to its beautiful symbolism. In many depictions, the image of the monkey represents the meaning of becoming a marquis, reflecting people’s pursuit of fame and fortune in feudal society. The monkey is the ninth in the Chinese zodiac, and its corresponding earthly branch is "Shen".
This is the First Day Cover for the Year of the Monkey issued by CTT Macao in the first round zodiac issues of 1992. The stamp shows a monkey sitting still and looking ahead. In 2004, the souvenir sheet and postal labels were designed by Lio Man Cheong and Anita Fung, respectively, both feature a monkey holding a peach, a reference to the influence of the Monkey King who ate peaches during the “Journey to the West”.
In 2016, the Cook Islands Post in Aitutaki issued a miniature sheet with two stamps featuring a monkey in ink and watercolour painted by the famous Chinese calligraphy and painting master and stamp designer Guo Xianlu, and a monkey in an artistic style designed by New Zealand Chinese designer Zhang Xiangyang. We can see the ink and watercolour monkey crouching on a tree with its tail hanging down nonchalantly, giving it a casual and relaxed look. The artistic monkey, on the other hand, is holding a pomegranate with the Chinese character for “good fortune” on its chest, signifying a happy life with many children. In addition, the “Blessing from Golden Monkey” is printed between the two diamond-shaped stamps.
The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Post issued stamps and souvenir sheet "China Animation Film Stamps – Uproar in Heaven " to commemorate "China 1996 – 9th Asian International Philatelic Exhibition". The content of one of souvenir sheet is said that Sun Wukong, in the “Journey of the West”, lacking a satisfactory weapon, went to the Dragon Palace in the East Sea to snatch the Golden Cudgel, and after that went to the underworld to forcibly cancel the Book of Life and Death, which led complaints from the Dragon King and the King of Yama. In order to subdue Sun Wukong, the Jade Emperor awarded him the minor official role of horse breeder, but Sun Wukong rejected and returned to Huaguo Mountain and proclaimed himself "Monkey King". The Jade Emperor failed to send troops to arrest him, then asked Sun Wukong to manage the peach garden. Afterwards, Sun Wukong ate all the peaches to destroy the Queen Mother’s Peach Banquet because he was not invited, so the furious Sun Wukong made a fuss in the Heavenly Palace.
Coincidentally, Canada Post issued souvenir sheets also featuring Sun Wukong in both the first and second rounds of Chinese Zodiac stamps. On the 2004 souvenir sheet with the stamping logo of the “Hongkong Stamp Expo 2004”, and features the Monkey King in a tiger-skin dress holding a golden hoop, as he escorts the Tang Monk on his Journey to the West. In order to highlight the image of the Sun Wukong’s seventy-two transformations, Canda Post used holographic and embossing technology, allowing stamp collector to appreciate the design of Sun Wukong in different colors from different angles. In the 2016 souvenir sheet, designed by Albert Ng and Linna Xu, Sun Wukong appears on the stamp as depicted on the play Monkey King.
In 1992, Thailand Post issued a "Demon Monkey" souvenir sheet with one imperfurnation stamp to celebrate the Thai New Year - Songkran Festival. The stamp features Hanoman, the monkey god. Although most people know Hanoman as the monkey god of India, but he’s also one of the characters in the Indian epic "Ramayana". The story of Hanoman first appeared in the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, which was orally transmitted about 2,500 years ago. Hanoman, who has four faces and eight hands, led his monkey army in a fourteen-year battle against the Rakshasa demon Ravana army in order to rescue Sita, the wife of Prince Rama of the kingdom of Asadha. The armies fights and he ultimately wins. Coincidentally, Pos Indonesia also celebrated the Year of the Monkey with the issue of a miniature sheet with two sets of six stamps in 2016, depicting Hanoman burning all the Rahwana kingdom Alengka, while helping Rama rescue the kidnapped Sita. The story of Hanoman is very popular in India and Southeast Asia. Many temples have carved and enshrined idols statues of Hanoman. In Thailand, Hanoman is the protagonist in traditional Thai theater and dance performances. As for Sun Wukong, who is a known name in China, Hu Shi believed that the prototype for the Monkey King in the "Journey to the West" was taken from Hanoman, and Chen Yinke and Ji Xianlin also agreed with this, as Hanoman appeared more than a thousand years earlier than Sun Wukong.
©2025 Communications Museum of Macao, CTT